Loki and His Pet
by SuperBrooke3
Summary: Loki uses a young girl as a bargaining chip but slowly becomes attached to her when she provides what he so desperately desires. Contains an OC. rated T as a precaution.
1. A big city

**This is my first fan fiction. I do not own the avengers. I do however own my OC Elizabeth. Please enjoy. **

**P.S. I will be updating my chapters in an effort to fix grammar and punctuation mistakes. I would like to thank skytteflickan for bringing these errors to my attention and encouraging me look take another look at my writing.**

"Why did you do such a thing!" Said a flustered Tony Stark. "You were the one that warned us not to talk to him!"

"I am his brother! I will not have him treated like an animal." Roared Thor.

Frustrated, Stark snapped at the hulking god. "He makes an effort to remind you at every chance that he is not your brother! He has disowned you. Why do you insist upon holding on to something that you are better off getting rid of?"

"Gentlemen," Fury interrupted the escalating tension. "Can we focus on the matter at hand? We cannot afford to let Loki walk about for longer than we already have. He is getting farther away as we speak. Now, Thor, where is he most likely to seek refuge?" Thor heaved a sigh and rubbed his chin. "I cannot say. He has not spent much time here to know where he would be safe. It is most likely that he has hidden himself in the populated areas of this city."

/

"Damn, I hate crowds." I muttered to myself. I was so excited to visit a big city during my college visitations but I forgot how much of a small town girl I was. The bustle and noise and sheer size of everything made me nervous. I was visiting my aunt while I looked at a nearby college. She suggested that my uncle and I went sightseeing while their newborn baby slept. I agreed but secretly hoped that we would be able to steer clear of the recent damage to the city. To my surprise, everyone appeared to be unaffected by recent events. Not even the newspapers had anything about it in them. I suppose it's easier to ignore something when there is so much else to focus on.

/

"The whole city is populated!" Argued Banner, looking like the god was getting on his nerves. "That hardly narrows it down."

"He would avoid the uncultured areas. He prefers the higher classes of people. Perhaps he would visit the lavish establishments of this realm as he thinks them more worthy." Thor knew his brother. He was not likely to be found too easily.

/

I liked art as much as the next person, but something about a few splashes of color with no form just doesn't appeal to my creative side. However, I was having a very good time watching the people in the gallery and their overreactions to each successive amorphous blob of paint. There was one though, that I had been watching for a while now. He seemed to refuse to react like the others. He simply stood in front of a purple and maroon canvas looking pensive. My uncle was saying something about the effects of color on emotion. Normally, I would be interested, but there was something about the unusually tall man that I found vaguely familiar. The feeling grew into a foreboding as my uncle and I moved to inspect another canvas.

/

Loki was not nearly as unaware as he appeared. He had taken note of the girl in the gallery as much as she had taken note of him. _She is watching me still._ Loki thought. _I can feel her glances like a cold breeze on my neck. _She didn't recognize the disgraced god. Otherwise, she would have told the man she was with. She intrigued him. No one else in this city ever took note of others.

He was effectively invisible with his long dark coat and nondescript manner. He looked like any other regular patron of the gallery. He would be safe till he could think of another place to go. He knew the Avengers would be after him and he knew that if he stayed here, they would find him, but he was at a loss of where else to go. He wished she would stop looking though.

/

_Why did he look so familiar?_ I puzzled over this even as my uncle and I moved out of sight to inspect an unusual sculpture.

/

If Thor wasn't conspicuous before, he certainly was now. He had been stuffed into an oversized gray suit and was looking almost as uncomfortable as Bruce.

"Fury says we're ready." announced Natasha. She was wearing a dark red dress that was distracting both Tony and Clint.

"Remember," said Clint, trying to hide his sideways glances with purpose, "we don't want to startle anyone and cause a scene. Just get Loki back here as cleanly as possible."

...

"So much for not causing a scene." grumbled Tony. Of course they were recognized the moment they stepped into the gallery. There were those that left as quickly as possible and there were those that rushed the team for autographs. Fury was busy yelling at the small crowd and Bruce was taking deep breaths.

/

_Stupid. You knew this would happen._ Loki cursed himself. _It was only a matter of time._ He knew he should have moved sooner. Now he was trapped in the barren gallery while the Avengers waded through a small mob. At least he had a chance to plan a quick escape. He headed toward the back of the gallery, casting a small spell as he walked. His doppelgänger would still be looking at the painting when the Avengers would finally manage to push through the crowd.

/

I hated waiting. I was kind of nervous waiting by myself in a large city. I had seen enough terrifying news stories on tv. My brain was coming up with the worst possible scenarios now. _Please hurry._ I thought with a tinge of embarrassment. My uncle had gone to the restroom. There was some commotion at the front of the gallery but I didn't want to leave the relative vicinity of my uncle. Everyone else in the gallery had moved to go see what was happening. _Oh please hurry up!_

/

Thor was the first to see Loki. The doppelgänger Loki had created turned to smile mischievously at him. Thor pushed through the crowd and the others followed. When Thor reached for the image, it disappeared into a puff of golden light. "Curse his deceptions." he muttered. "He's already gone."

/

Loki was getting frustrated. He was running out of time. Thor had already discovered the doppelgänger and he had yet to find an alternate route. He would have teleported out if he had had any idea of where to go. No, he just needed more time. Another distraction.

He reached the very back of the building and looked around. That damn girl was still here. But the man she was with was no where to be seen. "Loki!" Thor was too close for comfort. Despite the spell he had created to hide himself, he knew his brother would find him. The charm only worked in large crowds. The only other person near him was the girl. She was staring again.

/

The tall man from earlier came barreling from the front. I thought it strange that he would be the only one avoiding the excitement. _Then again_, I thought, _I am too._ He looked a little panicked.

My brain started racing through all the violent news stories. Maybe he was the cause of the commotion. Then it struck me. I knew why I felt like I recognized him. He looked remarkably like the so called god that had destroyed the city. But I decided that it was highly unlikely that I would ever see anyone of importance. I liked leading my mundane little life. Nothing ever happened to me.


	2. Loki takes a Hostage

Loki was beginning to panic. He was trapped by his own indecision. _She recognized me. _Loki thought. _I know she did. _Her eyes registered something but then she seemed to dismiss the thought all together. Loki heard Thor rumbling through the building. _Dangerously close._ Loki had a new plan now. _I have no better options and I still can't think of where else to go_. He dashed at the girl.

/

Suddenly the man was behind me holding my arms tightly to my torso. _Maybe he was a murderer like on the television._ I struggled as every warning my mother gave me came flooding back. I was going to die. I mustered a belated yelp as he pulled me close to his body and forced my arms closer to my ribs.

/

_Mortals have such tiny stature._ Loki thought, distracted for a moment. She hardly came to his collarbone. But that wouldn't really matter. As long as he was in control of her fate, the Avengers wouldn't dare harm him and put her at risk. She just had to behave for a few moments while he thought of a better plan.

/

I saw the Avengers come rushing into the last room of the gallery and I knew I was going to be another horror story on the news. Suddenly, we were out on the street. A jumble of people was mulling about in front of the gallery and bellows were audible from inside the building. The man started running with me dragging behind. I have never been athletic and he was already bigger and faster than I. I felt rather like a misbehaving child dragged off by their mother.

/

_Damn this girl. Why won't she move faster? _Loki thought. He could hear the rush of sound as the iron armored man approached. _If I must, I suppose I will make a stand._ He turned and pulled the girl up to his chest.

/

We stopped and he wrenched me around so that I had my back pressed against his unusually chill torso. His forearm was wrapped tightly around my throat and was pulling me up to stand on my toes. I was already gasping from the sprint but found myself fighting even harder for air now.

/

_What is he doing?_ Thor wondered. It was unlike Loki to rely on anyone else for protection. Especially someone he felt was beneath him. Perhaps he was just trying to make another point to Thor. He seemed to enjoy making his brother feel for the humans. They all had to be careful not to anger Loki and put the young girls life at risk.

/

_Shit. Shit. Shit._ My mother had never told me what to do if I was attacked and held hostage while the people I could trust stood mere feet away from me. _Shit. Shit. Shit._ Then something came flying at me and I panicked even harder.

/

"This was not something I expected" muttered Loki under his breath. The man of iron had flung a projectile at him even though he had a hostage. When the projectile materialized into a set of manacles, he was unsure of what to do next. Especially when he realized that only his right wrist was encased in metal.

/

"What the hell?" I managed to croak. What ever had come flying at us had hit my wrist. I was almost sure that it had taken off my hand because it felt suddenly cold. I waited for the pain but there was none. I moved my hand from its position trying to pull Loki's arm away from my windpipe. What I saw seemed to surprise me just as much as it suprised Loki because he loosened his grip a little.

/

"Well, that didn't work quite as I planned." Muttered Tony after observing the effects of his newest invention. He would have to tweak his work so that instead of the nearest appendage, the handcuffs would lock onto the victims biosignature. He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't see Loki turn and run again.

/

Loki was only mildly panicked. At least that's what he told himself. He needed time to find a spell to release the handcuffs but he did not have that sort of time right now. He tried to teleport but felt his magic simply swallowed up by the manacles. So he ran.

/

I wasn't sure what had just happened. I suddenly felt so tired. And then we were running again. We didn't make it far till I collapsed and the Avengers overtook us.

/

_Damn girl! She simply fell down and a moment later, all of the Avengers were upon us!_ Loki yanked violently on the manacles and brought the girl to a standing position. Pulling back on her hair so that she yelped brought a small amount of pleasure. Loki tried to materialize a knife to slit her throat or at least cut off her hand. He laughed at the chaos the chase had caused. The Avengers would have a jolly time explaining a missing appendage to the press.

/

_Why was I so tired?_ I wanted nothing more than to crumple up and sleep. But I was still standing. _Why was I still standing? Oh yes, because the huge man was pulling on me. Oh well_, I thought absently. I felt myself blacking out and I finally remembered the name of the god. _Loki. Hmm. I couldn't feel concerned when my eyes were closed. That meant sleep._

...

_Waking up sucks_ I thought to myself. I was having the strangest dream. I must have thrown off my covers because I was freezing. I planned to pull my covers over me and slip right back to sleep. When I opened my eyes I immediately gave up the hope of sleeping anytime in the near future. I was lying on the hard floor of a concrete room. Handcuffed to the tormentor from my dream.

**There is more to come. I'm very excited to be writing my first fan fiction. I would love to hear from you. Till then, stay creative.**


	3. An Unusual Circumstance

The girl was waking up. _Fine_. Loki ignored thoughtless hoped she had the sense to stay silent. He was working on a plan for revenge. He looked over just in time to see the look of sheer terror on her face.

/

He smiled a twisted little sneer and I froze. Every muscle in my body tensed. Just then a voice spoke from nowhere and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I looked for the source of the sound till I realized it was an intercom. It said something about having an unusual predicament and that I needed to talk to someone. I was not concentrating on the voice, I was focused on the pale giant with piercing eyes that seemed annoyed at my sudden movements.

/

The girl jerked about as if she was a wild animal. Every fiber of her body was intently focused on Loki and he wasn't sure he liked the expression of calculating fear. The voice had said that someone was coming to explain the predicament but Loki did not expect Thor and Tony to be bringing the news.

/

Although there was a good two feet of chain between Loki and I, almost every movement he made was transferred to me. When Thor wrapped Loki in a huge bear hug, I was wrenched from my seated position and tugged uncomfortably close to both giant men.

/

"Jesus Thor. It looks like you found your lost puppy. Now can we address what it dragged home?" Tony's words drew a glare from Loki and a somewhat hurt look from the girl. He ignored both reactions and turned to the girl. "What is your name?"

/

_Why was he wasting time asking questions?_ "Elizabeth" I replied. "Can I go home now?" I said with a glance at the metal band encircling my wrist.

"Well, that's the problem. I can't let you go." Tony looked at her shocked face and saw the unasked question. "You see Elizabeth, I designed these to be released and automatically attach to the two nearest arms. Naturally, I thought the only things close together would be the same person's appendages."

/

"Okay" I replied, "I understand that." I took a deep breath in anticipation of the answer. "Why can't I go home?" Stark looked a bit sheepish.

"Because I designed them to be permanent. Nothing can remove them. I thought this would be the best strategy since the blonde baboon is easily persuaded." I felt my heart drop into my stomach as the full meaning of his words sunk in. I was never going home. I was stuck with public enemy number one for the rest of my life.

I thought for a moment, "Why not cut the chain?"

/

_She's taking this rather well_, Tony thought, _I was afraid she would go comatose or cry or something._ "We can't cut the chain because the cuffs have sensors in them. If they are too far apart, they will release an electrical current that would electrocute you." Her face fell but she obviously thought of another method.

"What if we just cut off his hand?" Loki glared daggers at her and she inched a tad farther from him.

"Well," I replied, "the cuffs also monitor blood flow. If there ceases to be a pulse, they will explode with the force of a kilo of c4."

/

I didn't know what that really meant but it sounded bad."So I really am stuck this way for the rest of my life?" Tony looked reassuring.

"Not unless I can figure out a way to remove them without killing you." _Great_ I thought, _I am stuck with an insane egomaniac till metal man can maybe not kill me._

/

Thor greeted Loki like a lost child. Infuriated, Loki tried to push away his brother's embrace, but the angry god was pulled to his feet anyway. Stark told the girl the details of her situation and Loki could not help but grin as her hopes of escaping him were dashed.

Afterward, Thor, Stark, and a squad of armed men escorted them both to a glass cell all too similar to the one on the airship. Elizabeth seemed in a daze. When the door slid closed, she simply stood and stared through the glass. Loki moved to sit against the wall and she allowed herself to be dragged along. When he slid down the smooth surface, he pulled her down too. This seemed to wake her from her stupor. She turned on Loki and attacked.

/

My rage and fear and hurt twisted together into a suffocating ball of heat. At the rough reminder tugging at my wrist, I felt my emotion bubble to the surface. I wanted to hurt the 'god' because he had torn me from my life. I wanted to hurt him so that he might feel the fear I felt. I wanted to hurt him because I was trapped. I turned my blind attack on him with kicks and scratches and guttural yells. It didn't last long. He seemed surprised at first. The he stood and wrapped his hand around my throat. he pushed me roughly against the curved wall. His cold fingers pressing my wind pipe closed. I clawed at his hand with both of mine but felt no effect on his grip.

"Do you really think you can hurt me?" He hissed with a terrifying laugh. "I am your superior and yet you still try?"

**I'm really enjoying writing this piece. I would love to hear from readers to know if anyone else is enjoying it as well. Till then, stay enthusiastic.**


	4. Not Brothers

**That last chapter was a bit of a cliffhanger. My apologies. I just couldn't find a better place to end the chapter.**

Steve couldn't believe that he managed the bad luck to on guard duty when something bad happened. He had worried himself about it as soon as he was assigned the first shift. His gut feeling told him to be wary. He was less than pleased to be right.

When he and the other S.H.I.E.L.D operatives rushed into the room, Loki was dangling the girl by the throat. Her cheeks were a touch too red and her lips were a touch too blue. The captain punched in the cell code and folowed on the agents' heels into the glass cage.

/

When the guards rushed into the cell, Loki dropped me and stepped back. He was surrounded by men with guns. I, on the other hand, found myself being held upright by the infamous Captain America. He spoke comfortingly to me as I greedily sucked air into my lungs. After a moment, the burning in my chest subsided.

I realized I was crying now. The tears making hot trails down my face. I felt like I was in a dream. A horrible dream. Then I felt something prick my arm and I lost my already feeble grip on consciousness.

/

Thor shifted restlessly in his chair. He had decided to sit in the room with the cell till the Elizabeth woke up. He didn't want Loki to hurt her while she was unaware of the world. He also wanted to ask his brother why he simply hadn't disappeared from the whole encounter. Loki, however, was refusing to acknowledge his presence. Instead, he lay silently on the ledge with his arm trailing off toward the girl curled on the floor beside him. She was beginning to stir from her drug induced sleep.

/

"We have to get her away from him." Steve urged Fury.

Fury looked down at the captain with an unreadable stare."Stark and Banner are working on that."

Steve refused to accept this answer. "There is something else isn't there." he accused. "You are going to use her for your own devices."

Fury glared at the captain. "Given time, she could be more useful than Natasha for getting information from Loki. Besides, he can't harm her or use magic or Tony's cuffs will cause just as much harm to him as to her." Fury turned on his heel and walked off purposefully. Steve stood for a moment. He was unsure that Elizabeth was really safe. Especially with the cuffs Tony designed.

/

I felt strange when I woke. I was still terrified and angry but whatever drug was in my veins made a strange sensation of contentment and calm blur my thoughts. I lay on the floor staring at my reflection in the glass. Then I noticed the thick blonde man sitting outside the glass. I remembered something about him in the paper. I think his name was Thor. They said he was a god, and Loki was his brother. I didn't believe they were gods. Probably just big aliens. I stayed on the floor but rolled over a bit, so I could inspect Loki. He looked nothing like the blonde man.

/

The girl shifted. She seemed to be looking at his brother. Thor rose. "How are you feeling?" He asked the girl. She turned back to him. She didn't answer and her eyes looked glazed. He assumed that the medicine hadn't worn off yet. Now he turned his attention to Loki. "Brother, why did you take her?"

Loki sat up quickly. The chain jerked a bit but he ignored it. "I am not your brother." He snarled. Thor sighed. Each time his brother reminded him of his true origins, he felt a cringe of pain that he had hated the jotun with such fervor.

"You could have disappeared." He pushed on. "You could have simply transported yourself away."

Thor caught the moment of uncertainty in Loki's eyes. "Perhaps I didn't want to. Did you ever think that I meant to come here?" Loki seemed sure of himself and his purpose. Maybe he did have a plan, thought Thor. I'll have to say something to the others.

/

In fact, Loki did have a plan. Not before, but it had slowly grown in his mind ever since the Avengers had caught him. The girl could prove to be of use to him. He only had to endear her to the Avengers. And he had to be able to use magic. The cuffs were supposed to absorb magic but he was only in contact with one. The other would drain energy from the girl whenever he performed a spell. He had seen how weak she was though. When he used magic the first time, it had exhausted her immediately. If he could build up her resistance, he thought, he would be able to use his magic and not worry about dragging around an incapacitated human. But as soon as he could perform a large enough spell, he would be rid of the metal attachment.


	5. Loki's Plan

**As per a suggestion from whynotlive, I am trying a new system for differentiating viewpoints. I would love feedback and further suggestions. Enjoy.**

_Loki is rather handsome._ I thought to myself. But he was handsome in a creepy, angular way. He caught me looking at him and glared a bit. I didn't look away. The drugs had made me brave as well. The big blonde man, Thor, had left and Loki seemed a bit less tense now.

/

The girl, _Elizabeth_, Loki reminded himself, was looking at him the way she had in the gallery. There was no fear in her eyes. Only curiosity. He decided that he had liked her fear better. _No matter_, he told himself, _there will be fear again as soon as I have escaped_. He decided that no time was better than the present to begin building her resistance to the energy sapping manacles.

...

Time passed quickly for Loki and Elizabeth. Loki was surprised at the speed at which Elizabeth got stronger. In a matter of weeks he was able to cast a complete glamour without her becoming too exhausted.

/

I was tired constantly. Being trapped with a mass murderer was terrifying enough but it was made worse by recurring nightmares any time I closed my eyes. Stark had not found a way to release the cuffs yet. He promised that he was working on it but he never sounded truly sincere. He did, however, get me sleeping pills which gave me some measure of relief from my captivity.

/

Loki felt that he was almost ready to escape. He knew where he would go this time. He would take them to a forested area in a different realm. He was the only one that traveled there because he was unafraid of the creatures that dwelt there. The beings of Asgard only went there when they desired to hunt dangerous game. Loki, however, reveled in the latent energy of the realm and had created a small palace of sorts to hide away whenever he liked. He realized he was pacing. Elizabeth had gotten up and was desperately trying to keep stride with him.

/

Whenever he paced, I tried to stay up with him. Two feet of chain made it hard to move without disturbing him. And the last thing I wanted to do was disturb him. Usually he seemed angry or like he was plotting some horrible fate for each person his gaze fell upon. He had lashed out at me several times but it was never as violently as the first time. It was usually only a slap or a kick. But each time he did lash out, I was reminded of the icy grip around my throat.

/

Steve was uneasy. He really liked Elizabeth and didn't want her to get hurt. Loki always looked close to the edge of insanity. He felt sorry for Elizabeth, she was only an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. Recently, he had been unable to sleep for worry that something would happen to her.

/

Loki was pleased with himself. His pointed violence toward the girl had made the Avengers, specifically the patriotic one, feel sympathetic toward her. He was also pleased with the hold he had over the girl. She spent a large part of her time avoiding him as much as two feet of metal afforded. But she was not truly afraid of him yet. Her eyes still met his every now and then and she would hold his gaze for a moment too long.


	6. Leaving

**Another quick chapter to settle my brain. Enjoy.**

"Good morning" I grumbled to myself. The pills that Tony gave me made me sleep dreamlessly. But they also made me nervous that Loki would do something to me while I slept.

"You look well rested." He remarked.

"Is that supposed to be sarcastic or not?" I replied, rubbing my eyes. "Because I can't ever tell first thing in the morning."

He looked down his nose at me. "It is no longer morning. The man of iron gave you more of the sleep aid than usual last night."

My stomach growled. "What time is it then?"

Loki looked out into middle space for a moment. "The midday meal is here." The door to the outside slid open, agent Coulson entered with a tray of food.

"How do you do that?" I asked Loki as Coulson opened the door to the glass cell.

/

_Silly girl_, thought Loki. It was a simple act to scan the area for living energy yet she always seemed awestruck. As the girl and the agent chatted amiably, Loki cast a small glamour on himself. He couldn't help but grin when the girl failed to notice the small drain of energy. It was time for them to disappear. She was strong enough now.

/

Phil Coulson was one of my favorite people at S.H.I.E.L.D. He was always in a good mood and he spoke to me as if we had been good friends my entire life. He would spend hours sitting on the other side of the glass, talking to me. He helped to stave off the boredom of waiting for my fate to be decided.

When Coulson couldn't come, Steve would. I enjoyed Steve's company as well. His old fashioned practices collided comically with the 'new-fangled' technology of today. I liked Tony too, but he was visiting less and less as of late. Natasha was pleasant to visit with but she was often too busy to spend much time sitting around talking.

The rest of the Avengers very rarely made any appearances and I was rather less fond of them for various reasons. Clint hated Loki too much to spend any time around him, Dr. Banner was afraid of small spaces, and Fury terrified me almost as much as Loki.

/

Loki was focused on the task at hand. He concentrated with his every fiber on his destination. He wanted to use as little energy as possible. He felt sure that the girl would make it but he didn't want to have her comatose afterward.

Coulson and Elizabeth were laughing. No doubt it was a jab directed at him. He closed his eyes and gathered all his energy in preparation.

/

Loki reached down from the ledge he was sitting on and gripped my shoulder. Coulson wore a stunned look and reached for his communicator. I spun around and time seemed to stand still.

Loki gripped me in a violent embrace. Then both of us were surrounded in a sparkling golden light. I felt like I was being pulled in every direction at once. And then it stopped.

We were no longer in the round glass cell, but rather in a dimly lit forest. It was a good thing Loki was still gripping me tightly or my legs would have collapsed under me. He held me at arms length till the initial shock wore off.

"What the hell?" I screamed at the smug looking god.

/

_Well_, thought Loki, _she was definitely strong enough_. Her outburst was more spirited than he had seen in days. He dropped her arms and turned toward the nearby building. His library would be able to tell him how to remove the cuffs.

/

He was just walking off now, like nothing had happened. He tugged lightly on the chain but I was refusing to move. A warning flashed through my head. _'Never let a kidnapper take you to the second location.' _I laughed inwardly at the thought. _I bet they never thought about if the kidnapper was magic_.

Loki was turning to face me now. His eyes narrowed like he was trying to burn a hole in me with his gaze. I was dead. _This is it_, I decided. _At least I can make a stand before he kills me,_ I thought wryly.

/

The girl was being stubborn. Loki did not want to deal with her right then but the look of defiance in her eyes sparked his anger. "Do you think it wise to anger me?" He snarled. She glared back at him.

He rattled the cuffs in her face. "If I were you, I would behave so that I can remove these cursed contraptions."

She blinked. "Can you?"

"Of course I can you dull child." She looked uncertain for a moment then a glimmer of hope brightened her features. Still irritated by her willfulness, Loki turned and led her into his private stone hideaway.


	7. Dinner With the Enemy

It had been hours.

We were in Loki's small library and the table in front of us was piled high with dusty tomes. I was bored out of my mind. None of the books were in a language I could understand.

I had spent the last hour using the books like building blocks. I had made a complete replica of the Taj Mahal before Loki had snapped at me to stop fidgeting. Now I was staring at the swirled patterns of rock in the walls and ceiling.

The entire building seemed to be made of the same stone. What was most intriguing about it was that there were no blocks, no seams of any sort. It was as if it had simply grown straight out of the rock.

When I was bored with the ceiling, I turned my attention to flipping pages and sighing as loudly as possible. Loki was visibly irritated by my noise and turned to glare at me. "What?" I asked innocently. "I thought you were going to fix the problem. Not spend all day browsing your collection of novels."

Before I could even regret my comment, he grabbed my manacled wrist with his and took hold of my hair with the other hand. He pulled my face close to his. Tears prickled at my eyes as his fingers endeavored to pull my hair out by its roots.

"If you aren't quiet, I will chop off your hand and then you can go seek your fortune in the forest." Loki's voice was low and set my teeth on edge. He released my hair and resumed his careful scrutiny of the thick volume before him.

/

She was grating on his last nerve. Even after his threat, she was only quiet for a short while. Thankfully for Elizabeth, Loki found what he was looking for before he followed through on his gruesome threat. With a short spell, the manacles melted from around their wrists and Loki felt a surge of magic rush through him. He breathed a sigh of relief. His magic was uninhibited and he was free from the constant presence of the girl.

/

Loki melted the cuffs away and relaxed. Then to my mild surprise, he simply vanished. I sighed. I guess this meant that I was free to do what I liked. I decided that, instead of escaping right away, I would look for a bathroom. I needed to relieve myself and I desperately wanted a nice, hot, shower. When I finally found a bathroom, I was more than a little disappointed. The room was positively medieval. However, a bathroom was a bathroom, and the tub was full of steaming water as though it had been expecting me.

I removed my clothing and got in. In the time that I had been attached to Loki, showering was the most awkward affair to go through with. Now, with Loki nowhere to be seen, hopefully for a good long while, I let myself enjoy the feel of the soap and warm water. It felt so good to my tense and tired muscles, that I fell asleep.

/

Loki found the girl asleep in the tub of water he had summoned for her. He entered the wash closet and replaced her old, midgardian clothing with a dress he had conjured. He kept his eyes respectfully averted from her sleeping form. He knew she would wake shortly. In the meantime, he intended to bathe himself in his private washroom.

/

Elizabeth slowly rose through the layers of sleep to realize she was still in the bath and the water was beginning to get cold. She got out and dried off. She found that the sweet scent of the soap clung lightly to her skin. She was so enjoying the feel of being clean that she didn't notice the dress till she reached for her old clothes. Finding no trace of her previous attire, she angrily put on the clothing Loki had provided. To her surprise and further irritation, the flowing green dress fit perfectly. She looked at herself in the mirror.

The fabric was light and soft in a deep green hue that was precisely the same as Loki's preferred shade. The waist was pulled in by a black silk strips woven together into a girdle with large gold clasps. The neckline was a graceful scoop that showed her collar bones and just the tiniest hint of cleavage. The sleeves were simple cap sleeves of the same green color. Her dark brown hair had begun to dry and lay in loose waves over her shoulders. To her surprise and mild annoyance, she had to admit that she looked very nice.

She left the room and almost ran into a small bird flitting down the hall. Forgetting her purpose of escaping the stone palace yet again, she followed the chirping bird into a large hall. In the center of the hall, a table laden with food was set for two.

The little green finch landed lightly on the edge of the table. In the next moment, the finch was gone and Loki stood dressed in a green tunic with gold fasteners, black pants, and several gold rings.

/

Loki was pleased at Elizabeth's reaction. She was surprised and a flash of fear played across her face. He turned and sat at the head of the table. She stood, watching him carefully.

Loki motioned for her to sit in the chair to his right. When she made no move to do so, he projected an image of himself behind her. A second doppelgänger pulled the chair out as the first escorted her to the wooden seat.

As soon as she was settled into the carved seat, the doppelgängers disappeared and Loki smiled pleasantly at her. "That dress suits you." He began. "I do have another gift for you as well." She looked at him with nervous curiosity. Loki smiled. "I think I will save it till after the feast. Perhaps during dessert."

/

Loki was up to something. I knew it. I knew that it was bound to be something unpleasant for me. He was too polite. _Two can play at this game_, I thought. "I am not very hungry right now, today was rather trying and I would like to go to bed early." My voice sounded so sickeningly sweet that I felt like vomiting.

My stomach chose that exact moment to let out a thunderous growl and ruin my charade. In truth, my hunger gnawed at my belly like a starved wolf. He grinned broadly.

"Surely you can stay awake long enough to eat some roast boar." He lifted the cover from the nearest dish and the smell of cooked pork made my stomach growl even louder. Before I could protest, he had sliced a large chunk of meat and placed it onto my plate.

It smelled so delicious that I simply couldn't quiet my hunger. I dug into the tender hunk of pig with as much grace as I could scrape together. Soon, I had eaten my fill of every dish on the table. Loki snapped his fingers and it all disappeared and was replaced by various cakes and pastries.

I found myself enjoying the meal with an unintended enthusiasm. When I felt my stomach was about to burst, Loki snapped his fingers again and the table was cleared.

/

Loki watched her eat. She ate quickly, yet she was still dainty and well mannered. _A stark contrast with Thor_. He thought.

When she had eaten as much as she could, Loki quickly cleaned away the food and turned to the girl. She seemed lethargic from the surplus of food. Now was his chance. She was pliable with fatigue and a full belly. He conjured a black box in front of himself.

/

I didn't like the smirk he was wearing. The box came from thin air just as the feast had. I eyed him warily as he opened it to reveal a beautiful necklace. It was a thick gold chain with a single green gem embedded in a beautifully embossed triangle. The tip of the triangle pointed downward. "Those who are loyal to me will always be rewarded. Those that serve me will enjoy lavish riches." He said with a broad grin.

It suddenly dawned on me that he was saying I was his. A slave to him.

He was standing now, lifting the beautiful trinket from its box. He moved to clasp it around my neck. I stood up and sidestepped his efforts. "I am no one's servant." I snapped at him. "Least of all yours." With that, I moved to step past him and try to make a run for the door.

/

Loki had anticipated some amount of resistance, but he had hoped that his kindness would make the girl compliant. He caught hold of her arm when she moved to leave. Clutching the necklace in one hand and Elizabeth in the other, he walked briskly to the room he had chosen for her. She struggled and screamed insults at him the entire way.

He flung open the door to her room and shoved her harshly inside. "Those who will kneel to me will be rewarded." He reminded her. "Those that resist will be punished."

/

Loki slammed the door shut as he uttered the final sentence. I flung myself at the carved wood door. I beat on it till I heard the lock click. _The final nail in my coffin_, I thought. I ceased to abuse the woodwork and crumpled into a sobbing mess on the floor. I spluttered and moaned at the cold stone till I was too exhausted to keep my swollen eyelids open. I slipped into a fitful sleep.

/

Loki listened to the sobs from behind the door for a moment. He would try a different tactic now. His kindness had not swayed her. But he would try it once more in the morning. Just for good measure. If she failed to yield then, he would be forced to use more drastic measures. He chuckled to himself. He was almost looking forward to seeing the fear in her eyes again. He tucked the necklace into his pocket. He was also looking forward to a decent night's sleep in his own bed.

**I hope this new chapter will help make up for the rather short ones before. Till the next time, stay adventurous.**


	8. Dignity and Loneliness

Elizabeth woke to the morning sunlight streaming through the window. Her eyes were still red and sore from crying. She uncurled her sore body with a groan. She regretted sleeping on the hard stone floor. Her back would hurt for the rest of the day. She had a plan now. It had come to her last night when she was half asleep in the dark.

/

Loki was in a very good mood. He had slept well for the first time in a long time. Now he was on his way to Elizabeth's room. He knew she was awake. Her energy was vibrant and moving. He knocked on her door and was pleased to see she had cleaned her face and combed her hair after her messy breakdown last night."Shall we break our fast together?"

/

She shuddered a bit at his cold touch but placed her hand in his anyway. In order for her plan to work, he had to believe that she had given in to him. With a false sense of comfort, he might let her have a bit more freedom. Possibly even enough to give her the chance to escape.

The table was set for two again. On her plate, sat the black box. When they were both seated, she carefully removed the lid and withdrew the necklace. Loki watched her with anticipation. She rubbed the green gem in the center.

/

Loki watched her inspect the necklace. Her face seemed curious but her eyes betrayed her. She was stalling for time. For a moment, he was afraid that she could sense the magic within the stone. He dismissed this thought immediately as absurd. She was only a mortal.

/

I placed the necklace back into the box. I didn't want to surrender yet. I wanted a shred of my dignity to take with me on my escape. Loki looked at me confused and just a little angry. "I'm afraid that I do not do it justice. I am so plain for such an ornament."

"All mortals are plain." Loki said. "If you want something simpler I can change it. But even mortals deserve ornamentation fit for the king they serve. I am only trying to reward you." To Loki's further frustration, I placed the top back onto the box and turned to the food on the table. He was angry. I wondered if I had made the best choice. I couldn't go back on it now. I had decided.

/

They began their meal without a further word. When they were finished, she rose to leave. Loki rose as well, he grabbed her hand. "You will accept me as your master." The anger and impatience burned in his eyes. "Of course, I do." She said. Her voiced wavered and Loki knew she was lying. Her eyes met his. She was hoping desperately that he had believed her.

"You do not." He roared. She shrank back from him. "You were hoping to deceive me. You have forgotten who I am."

/

I was terrified of his wrath. I yanked my fingers from his grasp and ran. I ran through the palace and out of the door. I kept running farther into the forest. My adrenaline and fear fueled my legs.

/

Loki stood where she had left him. A small grin crossed his lips. She did not know that she was nowhere near her realm. He would let her run till she was tired. Then he would go and collect her. He still needed her to complete his plan to exact revenge. He turned and cleared the food from the table. He placed the necklace in his pocket once more. Then he strolled calmly to his library. He could still sense her energy and would keep track of her while he studied a few spells.

/

I was tired and my side had a stitch in it but I didn't want to stop. My feet were cut and bloody but the remaining adrenaline in my system helped dull the pain. I slowed to a fast jog. I had no idea where I was. The trees looming over me seemed to go on forever.

I was lost. I sat for a moment to catch my breath and get my bearings. I knew that moss grew on the north side of trees, but I didn't know where I was anyway. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." I smiled weakly at my own joke.

I got up and started walking again. I didn't know how far I had gone before I broke down completely. I sat myself in the middle of the ground and let everything I had kept hidden flow out. I cried silently. I missed my family and my friends. At least when I was with the Avengers, I knew where they were and that they knew I was safe. I was tired and scared and lost now. And my damn feet hurt like hell! I let out a guttural bellow and threw a rock in my frustration.

/

Loki stood behind her as she cried. The small sounds that she made echoed somewhere within the part of him he kept hidden. She was homesick and lonely. Suddenly she flung a pebble off into the distance. He understood. She was angry at the world around her. At how unfamiliar it was. He understood. But he didn't want to. Pushing these unwelcome feelings back into the corner of his mind, he stepped forward and took hold of her arm.

/

I let him take me back without any resistance. I felt too tired from running and crying to fight him. He was gentler than he had been before when we reappeared in the stone palace. He left me in my room and locked the door again. I flung myself on the bed. I was ready to give up. To give into the hopelessness that tore at my heart. I lay there for hours before I finally fell into a sleep filled with shadowy monsters and twisted black trees.


	9. Grounded

**Just a quick chapter to remind myself that other characters heave feelings too. Please enjoy.**

The entire S.H.I.E.L.D. base was in frenzy. Their prisoner had escaped and taken the girl Elizabeth with him. Coulson looked like his calm facade might slip, the Captain was trying to calm down the angry Thor while Bruce was standing in a corner rubbing his temples. Tony was drinking some manner of alcohol Natasha was speaking to an irritated Nick Fury and Clint was nowhere to be seen, as usual.

Fury suddenly slammed his hand down on the table. Everyone was instantly silent and fury met the eyes of each Avenger before continuing. "We cannot go after him without informing the Asgardians.

Thor nodded. "I will be going to speak with the Allfather today. I will ask Heimdal if he can tell me where Loki has gone. I will be back tomorrow with news." With that, he turned and headed outside. Everyone else followed.

In a flash of light and a rush of wind, he was whisked away. The rest of the team trudged into the building. No one spoke till they had reached the Stark/Avengers tower.

"I think we ought to be finding them now. Not waiting for a diplomatic intervention. Loki is a madman. I've been under the control of a mad man before. It's not pleasant." Stark poured himself another drink. Natasha nodded a silent agreement and Steve let his concern finally show through his stoic mask.

"We don't know where to look." Came a voice above them. Clint had gone up the stairs and was sitting on the highest railing. Natasha shot him glare.

Steve spoke up now. "We have to wait till Thor returns before we can help Elizabeth."

...

Thor was irritated. Frigga greeted him warmly but he would have to wait till the next morning to speak with him. Thor retired to his room to wait.


	10. The Storm

**Just a quick chapter to get it off my mind. Please enjoy.**

I woke to a particularly loud crash. The thunder rumbled and resonated through my chest. I knew I wasn't getting any more sleep that night. Moments later, Loki burst through the door with a panicked look on his face. He took my wrist and raced back through the door. We ran out into the forest.

We teleported into a chamber made of the same stone as his lonely palace. The thunder claps were quieter here though. I realized we were underground. We ran through several doors going what felt to be farther underground.

When we finally stopped the thunder was barely audible. Loki sat exhausted on a couch in the corner of the room. I thumped down on a chair and worked to catch my breath. When I looked at Loki pressed into the upholstery, I almost laughed. He looked so like a small child. Such a large and menacing creature being afraid of a noise.

/

Thor had finally gotten Heimdal to tell him where Loki was. Heimdal had warned Thor not to let his anger get the best of him but Thor wasn't really listening to Heimdal's warning. He just nodded and Heimdal let the bridge open.

Thor knew this realm. Loki had used it to escape often when they were children. Thor knew where his brothers palace was and headed straight toward it. Thor was afraid of what his brother had done to Elizabeth. As his anger grew, so did the storm clouds overhead. Upon reaching the palace, Thor was in a white hot rage. He yelled through the halls for his brother, calling him a coward. When Thor was unable to find his brother, he released his anger on the palace itself. When he found a small smudge of blood in one of the rooms, he finally snapped. Releasing lightning bolt after bolt, He razed the palace to the ground. After his rampage, he returned, exhausted, to Asgard. His anger spent and his heart filled with sadness and guilt.

...

The rest of the night was spent in the stone room. I slept in the chair and Loki stretched out on the couch. I don't know if he actually slept, whenever I woke from a nightmare, he was staring at the ceiling.

I woke for the final time with Loki leaning over me and shaking my shoulder. I assumed that meant it was morning. with a light touch, he quickly healed the beaten skin of my feet. We walked silently back through the chambers. I noticed that each floor had a small smudge of blood from my cut feet last night. Now that they were healed, walking was easier and quicker. At the last chamber, he took hold of both my shoulders and the pulling sensation took were standing in front of his ruined palace.

/

Loki was appalled at the sight before him. The palace had taken years of hard work to craft. The library of books he spent years collecting was a smoldering heap. A profound sense of loss welled up within him. His so called brother had destroyed his last refuge. The last place that Loki felt at home was ruined. He walked through the rubble to stand in the ashes of his library. Reaching down, he took a handful of ash and let it fall through his fingers. Thor would pay, he vowed. All of them would pay.

/

I watched him as he stumbled through the ruins of his beautiful palace. His expression was rigid but a sliver of emotion was visible in his taught jaw. When he stooped to touch the ashes, I felt my heart warm towards him.


	11. Sympathy for a Devil

Steve looked at Thor in horror. "You just left? After you destroyed his house and likely made him angry? You left Elizabeth there with him?"

Thor looked at his hands. "I could not stay. He would have been angrier if I had waited for him."

/

I picked my way through the broken stone toward Loki. I cut my feet again on a patch of shattered glass but I gritted my teeth and kept walking. I wanted to express my sympathy and perhaps, in doing so, make him empathetic toward me. When I reached him, he was standing still in the ashes of the books looking at a scorched binding. I reached out and touched his arm gently.

/

Loki was trying not to lose his grip on his emotions. The strangle hold he usually kept over them was weakened by recent events. He ignored the girl slowly making her way toward him. When she finally reached him, her aura exuded sympathy and a feeling of mutual sorrow.

Loki spun on his heel at her touch. "I do not want your pity. You cannot possibly understand the complexity of the situation." Then he transported himself to the underground chambers, leaving the girl by herself in the rubble. She could fend for herself while he planned his revenge on Thor.

/

In a flash of golden light he was gone. I stood in the ruined library, the ash soaking up the blood that seeped from my feet. I sat down where I was, my movement sending up clouds of grey ash. Grimacing, I began to pull the shards of glass from the soles of my feet.

When I was finished, my hands and feet were coated in a pasty mix of drying blood and ash. I tore several long strips from he green dress I still wore. I wrapped them around my feet and prayed that my feet would not become infected before I got Loki to heal them. With that, I limped through the ruins and off into the forest a little ways to hide from the midday sun.

/

Tony was just as appalled at Thor as Steve was. "I was almost beginning to like having another girl around to keep me busy." He said as a weak attempt at lightening the mood.

Natasha turned to him and rolled her eyes. "You hardly ever spoke to her except to tell her that you hadn't figured anything out."

Stark ducked his head slightly. "That doesn't mean I'm not concerned." The whole affair had brought up rather painful memories of his own captivity.

...

Loki found the girl curled under a large tree. She slept soundly. He noted the torn dress and the blood soaking through the green wrappings on her feet. He picked her up and transported them both back to the underground safe rooms.

/

I woke to the feeling of being pulled in all directions at once. When the golden light receded, I realized that I was being carried. I looked up at the angular, pale face of Loki and nearly jumped out of his arms. My sleep hazed mind had forgotten that the only source of the golden light was the man I feared most. He set me down on the couch and unwrapped my feet.

/

Loki wondered if it had been the best idea to leave the girl to her own devices for so long. When he unwound the fabric from her feet, he saw that she had not cleaned her wounds properly and they had already begun to fester. The larger gashes had become swollen and red. They oozed a mixture of blood and plasma. Not wanting to use his magic up on healing this fragile mortal, he conjured a small tub of water and soap. Loki hated traditional medicine but he knew that treating the wounds and infection would severely drain his magic.

/

I wish Loki had left the bandages on my feet. As soon as he began to unwrap them, they burned fiercely. The exposed flesh stung as be pulled the fabric away from the raw nerves. When he had removed all of the fabric, I sat up and looked at the damage. Much of my skin was covered in dried fluids, some of which I could name, others I did not want to consider.

I sat on the edge of the couch and put my head in my hands. I felt woozy and I did not want to pass out in front of Loki. A small tub of water suddenly appeared by my feet and I jumped. Loki held out a wash rag to me. "If you don't wash them out, you'll be fevered within the hour."

I felt that he was probably exaggerating but I wasn't about to argue. I dipped a foot into the warm water. It felt like stepping into a fire. I immediately withdrew my with a yelp. "Why can't you just magic it better? You did before." He looked at me with exasperation. "I can't remove the infection."

I wasn't sure why but I decided to argue. "But you can heal it still. Then there won't be an infection." He didn't answer. Instead he grabbed my ankle and thrust my foot in the water.

/

She bellowed louder than I had thought possible for such a small creature. She thrashed and struck out at me. Taking the cloth, I began to scrub the thick crust of ash and fluids from her feet. She calmed down a bit while I cleaned the top of her foot but when I started on the bottom, she screamed curses and redoubled her efforts to pry my fingers from her ankle.

When I had finished with that foot, I released her ankle and moved to grab the other. She quickly moved out of my grasp and bolted for the door. She only made it a few steps before she collapsed. I simply grabbed her ankle and dragged her the few feet back to he tub of mud colored water. With a wave of my hand, I drained it an filled it with clean water. I proceeded to scrub the filth from her other foot while she fought with every fiber of her being.

/

I fought against Loki's grasp with fervor. My ankle was sore from his grip and the cloth sent spikes of pain through my legs with each pass. When he finally finished his assault on my right foot, I tried to escape the pain of the other before he had a chance to begin. I only managed a few steps before the shards of glass still in my feet stopped me. Loki grabbed my ankle and pulled me across the smooth floor, smearing the fresh blood I had gotten on the stone.

I was tired but with each wave of new pain, I found enough energy to curse Loki and thrash about a bit. Tears had been pouring from my eyes through it all and did not cease after Loki had finished. I lay on the cold floor with my feet slowly oozing more disgusting fluids.

The tears came more slowly now but only because I was running low on fluid to fuel them. Loki crouched by my tender feet and gently placed a hand on each. I was exhausted and his cold fingers were soothing on my burning flesh. I felt the remaining bits of glass being pulled out by an invisible force. The feeling was not entirely unpleasant but it sparked small needles of pain within the cuts. I heard small plinks of the glass hitting the floor and Loki gripped the raw flesh tighter.

/

She squirmed as the flesh knit itself back together. When the spell was finished, there was no sign that there had ever been a break in the skin. The infection was still in her body but her natural defenses would take care of that.

She lay on the floor looking at Loki with an expression of gratitude and anger. "Can I have some shoes now" she asked him grumpily.

He looked her over, "First you need a new dress." With a gesture, the torn green garment was made whole and clean again. A pair of simple black flats appeared on her feet. "I have some business to attend to." With that, he disappeared in a golden glow.

**I am so busy with scholarship and college applications. I hope I will be able to post again soon but I cannot guarantee a chapter this weekend. Until next time, stay unusual.**


	12. Business

**Here is what i have been mulling over for a bit. Please enjoy.**

I was alone again. At least I had shoes now, I wouldn't have to worry about cutting my feet up when I made my escape. I picked myself up off of the cold floor and inspected the repaired dress. It seemed like nothing had ever happened to it. I didn't expect Loki to be back anytime soon. I decided to take this opportunity to explore this subterranean hideaway.

/

Thor couldn't sleep. Regret for his brash actions tugged at the edges of his thoughts. Giving up, he plodded out of his room at Stark Tower and headed to the kitchen. He rummaged through the cupboards and found a box of poptarts. He turned back toward the couch and finally noticed the tall figure folded stiffly in one of the armchairs. His angular frame seemed out of place in the curving lines that dominated the structure.

"Loki!" Thor's voice resounded with relief to see his brother. He stepped forward as the smaller demigod stood. "You are well." Thor caught a glare from Loki and his broad grin faded. "I am sorry brother. I could not control myself. I have wronged you." Thor's shoulders slumped and he seemed to shrink into himself.

Loki saw this and grinned. "You have wronged me many times over Odinson." At the formal address, Thor looked up from the floor and into his brother's eyes. "I now have a chance to repay you. You and the rest of your so called friends. You care for the mortals. You care for Elizabeth, yes?"

Loki watched as Thor's eyes flashed with deep seated concern and regret. "Please do not harm her." Loki was mildly surprised at Thor's quiet request. "I will not hurt her." Loki said, trying to hide the way Thor's plea had affected him. Pushing all of his feelings toward Thor to the back of his mind, he sneered. "I would never seek to harm my favorite plaything."

Thor spluttered for a moment half relieved, half angry at his brother's motives for keeping her well. Loki seemed satisfied with this reaction. "I will be going now," he said with a toothy grin. "I feel that I am unwelcome at this time." He disappeared into a cloud of magic just as the elevator dinged and the rush of the Iron Man suit roared outside the window.

...

Tony was sleeping happily next to Pepper when Jarvis alerted him to the unwelcome visitor. Pepper woke first and helped shake Stark from his drug aided slumber. Tony grumbled to be left alone for a while longer till Jarvis interrupted his protestations. "Sir, Loki has broken into he tower."

With that, Tony was fully awake and alert. "Where is he?" Tony was already activating the Iron Man suit by the time Jarvis answered. "He is speaking with Thor on the main lounge floor. I have already notified the others. They are on their way as well." Stark turned to Pepper. "Stay here." He said as the last pieces of the armor latched into place. Then he stepped to the window Jarvis had opened and leaped into the air. If the others were going to be using the elevator, he might as well try and block the only other way out of the tower. Not that it would do much good, he thought to himself.

...

By the time Bruce had trudged up the stairs to the others, he was panting and sweating. Despite knowing that the Hulk was a formidable opponent to Loki, he did not want to endanger anyone else. He lived on the lowest floor of the building and refused to take the elevator. When he reached the lounge, he knew he was to late to do anything. From the looks on everyone else's face, he figured that they had been too. He shuffled over to the couch and sat down wearily.

Stark was getting himself a drink while Natasha, Clint, and Steve were discussing something. Thor was the only one that looked out of place. He stood in a pair of red pajamas looking dazed. In his hand he clutched a mangled poptart box. Banner thought it a bit strange to see his fingers wrapped so tightly around something other than Mjolnir.

/

I had looked through all of the rooms in this underground building and was thoroughly unimpressed with each. Clearly, this was meant as a place to stay for only a short while. There were only a handful of rooms, most only had chairs or couches. There was a bedroom, a bathroom, a small pantry and kitchen, and one room containing a small number of books.

I flipped through each of these but found, again, that I was unable to read any of them. I did however, find a book that had beautiful pictures. I lingered over that one. Paging through it, I got the impression that it was some sort of magic textbook. Each few pages started a new topic. The illustrations showed various animals and objects. I was about to set the book down when I saw a familiar image. The necklace Loki had tried to get me to accept as a token of submission.

It was not an exact replica but the round, green stone surrounded by the swirling symbols was unmistakable. I had no idea what the book said about the particular piece of jewelry but I was almost certain it wasn't anything good for me. My stomach backflipped. I had to get out soon.

"Doing a bit of light reading are we?" I nearly jumped out of my skin. I spun around and stood up at the same time. The book slammed heavily to the floor. "I...I was just..." Loki raised an eyebrow at my stammering. "I couldn't read it." I managed to squeak out. Loki stepped closer and picked up the book.

/

Loki was almost pleased that Elizabeth had found the book. He knew she would not be able to understand it but the images within it would be easy enough to decipher. He opened the book to the necklace page. "Beautiful, is it not?" Her eyes were wide and she was stiff with fear. "I had almost forgotten about my gift to you. I improved upon the design." he glanced at her from under his brow. "You did ask for it to be more modest." With that, he pulled the necklace from his pocket and advanced toward her.

/

The necklace he withdrew from the folds of his coat was different now. It was a solid circle of gold with the stone and engraving centered on it. My back was pressed against the wall now. He advanced till he was practically pressing me up against the cold stone.

I couldn't pull my gaze from his cold eyes and my neck craned back as he towered over me. I felt no warmth from his body and his blue green eyes were piercing. I ducked and turned my head so that I could not see the sneer twisting his lips. He took my chin in his hand and turned my face back to his. "Are you afraid?" He asked. "You have no reason to fear me if you are loyal to your master. Great kings always reward their loyal subjects."

I swallowed. I wanted to say something. Anything to defend myself. But my fear made my heart race and my lungs cease working. He pulled my chin up harder and pressed something cold to my throat. He leaned his lips to my ear. "Will you accept my gracious gift or do you still resist my rule?" His hissed words sent chills down my spine to gather as a hard lump in my stomach. There was silence for a moment while his breath tickled my cheek. It felt so human that I found my voice enough to utter a shaky protest. "I am not a slave."

At these quiet words, he pressed the cold metal of the necklace harder to my throat. I felt it seem to melt and wrap itself around my neck. He released me and took a step back. "You are not a slave." He said reassuringly. "But you still belong to me. You have no choice in the matter. You can choose to accept, or I will force you to obey."

I stepped forward, trying to fool myself into thinking I could still maintain my dignity if I fought. "I will not." My voice sounded choked.

/

Loki had anticipated her resistance. He almost looked forward to it. He relished the idea of breaking such a strong will. She was quiet and frightened but she had never given up. He decided that she would make an excellent pet. The Avengers' attachment to her would serve him well. When they saw her broken and cowed, Loki would manipulate their sympathies and punish them through her.

/

Loki grinned at me. I felt my stomach clench around the cold mass of terror resting in it's pit. "As I have already told you, you have no choice." His tone told me that I would not enjoy whatever came next. "But since you seem to want a demonstration of my power, I will give you one." He narrowed his eyes at me. "Kneel."

I glared at him. Summoning as much defiance as I could. Suddenly, a burst of white hot pain racked my body. I tried to stay upright but the intensity increased till I finally collapsed to my knees. Then it vanished. As quick as it came, it was gone. I gasped air back into my lungs and looked at the ground. I heard Loki chuckle softly above me. "I warned you." He said as he crouched down. Lifting my chin softly, he said. "You have no choice."


	13. Helpless

Loki stood and regarded me. I was still staring at the floor. I watched his feet turn away and step toward the door. When he reached the threshold, he paused for a beat. "Come" he said before he turned and disappeared around the corner. Fearing another outburst of pain, I reluctantly rose to my feet and shuffled after Loki.

In the hall, we passed a mirror and I looked at my reflection. It was easy to see that the band of metal could no longer be called a necklace, it was a collar. I dropped my gaze and kept moving.

Loki stopped at the door to the bedroom. I pushed any perverse thoughts from my head. I did not want to think of what the news stories always said. I took a deep breath and forced myself to walk through the door behind him. Inside there was a couch in a corner as well as the bed I had seen earlier.

I relaxed a bit when he indicated that the couch was mine. I sat carefully on the edge of the the couch while he stripped down to his tunic and pants. Then he looked expectantly at me. "You should sleep." He said. "Tomorrow will be a very important day for us all." I had no intention of sleeping. I lay on the couch and Loki extinguished the lamps.

I don't know how long it took for him to fall asleep. I lay silently in the dark till his breathing was slow and even. I rubbed my fingers over the engravings on the collar while I waited. Then, after I felt certain he was asleep, I quietly got up and tiptoed to the pantry. I had not eaten all day.

I filled my stomach with all sorts of foods. I gathered my skirt into a sort of basket and filled it with bread, dried meats, and fruit. I then deposited all of the food wrapped in a towel under a chair. The rest of the night was devoted to finding a way to remove the collar.

/

Loki found Elizabeth asleep in front of a mirror. She still held a short metal rod. Around her was strewn a kitchen knife, a pair of shears, a bloody towel, a half eaten loaf of bread, and the spell book opened to the necklace. Loki chuckled to himself, she hadn't even managed to scratch the collar. He nudged her with his toe to wake her.

/

Something poked me and I woke with a start. I opened my eyes to see Loki towering over me. Unconsciously, I scrambled a few inches back from him. "I see you were busy last night." He said, raising an eyebrow at me. "Tell me, do you see the truth of my words now?"

His grin made my blood boil in my clouded my thinking and I let all of my rage and frustration and terror take hold of me. I swung the rod I held at his smug face. Before it could connect with his jaw, he batted it away and sent the back of his hand stinging across my cheek.

I dropped to the floor and gingerly touched the skin that was undoubtedly already turning bright red. Tears welled in my eyes but I refused to give him the pleasure of seeing me cry. I forced the burning sensation to the back of my mind and looked up to meet his gaze.

/

Panting, Steve picked up another punching bag and hung it from the hooks. This was his fourth one this hour. He took a swing at the new bag and felt the contact thump satisfyingly up his arm. He was about to swing again when Stark appeared with a drink in his hand. "Aren't you tired yet?" Stark asked between sips of amber liquid. "You didn't sleep last night."

Steve turned to the man and gestured to the glass in his hand. "Aren't you drunk yet? You never seem to stop." Stark shrugged. "Only a little. It helps me think." Steve unwrapped his knuckles. In truth he was starting to feel a bit weary despite his enhanced abilities. He gathered his things and turned back to Stark.

/

Tony swirled his glass absently. Staring into the liquid, he willed himself to make a quip. Anything to avoid what he had come for. He regretted giving into his sudden whim to tell someone about his worries. Usually he would confide in Pepper, but she was away on business.

/

Steve watched Tony stare at his glass. "Stark, do you need something?" Tony looked startled for a moment. "No Cap, I don't." Steve knew Tony was trying to avoid what he had come for. "You know, if you want to say something, I'll listen."

/

Tony gulped down the rest of his drink. He willed himself to voice his thoughts. He chuckled inwardly. This was usually not a problem for him. "I just want to do something about Elizabeth. I built the suit so that I would never be helpless again but I also built it to fight back against people that take the lives of the weaker." The words came out in a rush. The raw feeling of them barely hidden under the aloof tone.

With his piece said, Tony's manner deflated and he suddenly looked very tired. Steve paused for a moment before speaking. "I want to help Elizabeth too. I joined the war to liberate the world. I saw people killed and tortured just for being thought lesser. I see Loki trying to do the same thing. He thinks we are all beneath him and he strives to control us."

The Captain took a deep breath before continuing. "The point is, the thought of an innocent trapped by Loki is painful to me as well. We know that S.H.I.E.L.D is working on a way to locate and capture Loki."

Tony looked at the super soldier. His manner had changed from one of sharing a mutual feeling to the cold, uncaring one of a trained soldier. Tony knew that this was a defense mechanism just as his flippant attitude is. Tony knew that the conversation was over. He turned and left to go get himself another drink.


	14. A Visit

**I apologize for the long wait. Thank you to everyone that has reviewed. You provided me with motivation to continue. Please enjoy!**

I was standing in the bathroom again. A steaming tub of water waited for me and a new, clean dress lay folded beside the towel. I wanted to relax, to lose my worries in the inviting water. But I did not want to give in to any request from Loki. Even if the request was something I genuinely wanted to do.

I turned to the mirror. My feeble attempts to remove the collar last night had left the fragile skin on my neck bruised and battered. The cuts had oozed disproportionately large amounts of blood. All of it was dried and discoloring my skin.

Sufficiently disgusted by the sight of myself, I relented to bathing and dressing in the new dress. This one was much the same but instead of a black girdle, it had subtle gold embroidery under the bust and around the hem. I decided that, despite my irritation at its perfect fit, I did like how I looked.

I tried to take as long as possible in the bathroom in order to avoid Loki, but he called me out not long after I had finished. He commented on how much more pleasant I looked and I gritted my teeth to keep from saying anything stupid. He took my hand and the pulling sensation whisked us away again.

When the gold light receded, I realized that I was clutching his pale fingers much more closely than I had intended. I looked up at him to see that he was wearing a rather showy helmet accompanied by armor. I remembered the curving gold horns from pictures I had seen on the television. They made him look comical and menacing at the same time.

I lowered my eyes and set myself to inspecting our surroundings. We were standing in a pleasantly furnished room. The modern furniture betrayed the wealth of the owner. Suddenly a soft ding interrupted the quiet and a swish of elevator doors announced the arrival of another person. Loki and I both turned to look at the intrusion.

/

Coulson had been having an almost pleasant conversation with Stark. The man had even begun to address him as Phil. He felt he should make an effort to keep Tony happy since he owed the genius his life. After the attack on the helicarrier, he had been clinging to the last strands of life before Stark stepped in with an experimental artificial heart. Now that he had mostly healed and was back to doing what he normally did, he tried to repay his debt by helping Stark study the effects of the artificial heart. He also stayed very close to the Avengers initiative.

He was just leaving a checkup from Stark when Jarvis interrupted the elevator ride. "Loki has appeared on the lounge floor sir." Stark had begun to suit up immediately. "Take us there" he commanded.

Coulson watched with mild fascination as the pieces of the Ironman suit appeared from seemingly nowhere and assembled themselves. Jarvis interrupted again. "Sir, it appears that he has Elizabeth with him." A flicker of something showed in Stark's face but was quickly concealed by the metal faceplate.

Coulson felt his artificial heart pump harder. He hadn't been in any sort of combat since the helicarrier. Both Stark and Doctor Banner had advised him against any excitement. No time to be cautious now, he thought to himself as he drew his sidearm.

He was angry at Loki for so many things. Some he could forgive. Even almost killing him was simply water under the bridge. But kidnapping and using an innocent little girl was too far. Coulson had grown attached to Elizabeth. Just as he had become attached to each one of the Avengers. They were almost like a family. He relished that feeling. The door slid open and he raised his pistol.

/

Tony was confused. Why would Loki bring Elizabeth with him to meet the people most capable of stopping him? He pondered this for a moment before he realized he did know why. He had been in Elizabeth's position. Why do you send film of your hostage to the people trying to stop you? Bile rose in his throat. She was a pawn. A tantalizing bit of emotional meat to dangle in front of the enemy.

/

When Coulson and Stark appeared from the elevator, I found myself wanting to run to them. Especially Phil. While I had been attached to Loki I enjoyed his company the most. I had even begun to think of him as a father figure. What I saw now reminded me that he was still an agent for the government. He wore his signature suit and tie but his eyes held a coldness all too similar to the pistol in his hand. He looked tired and a little sad too behind his stoic mask.

Tony was unreadable and a tad bit menacing in his suit. The glowing blue eyes had always reminded me of a cold crackling electricity you felt when you were home alone at night.

Only two things kept me from rushing at them like a sappy movie: their clear looks of menace and Loki's firm grip on my wrist. Suddenly I felt very small and weak. The grandeur of Loki and the tension radiating from the two heroes seemed to press my being down to an infinitesimal speck. For a moment no one said anything.

/

Coulson mentally ran through the situation. Loki was looking very calm in the presence of a hostile force. Training had taught him how to deal with hostage situations but he decided that this was a different case. Normally a kidnapper would make a demand. But then again, normally a kidnapper would not bring the hostage with him. Coulson looked Elizabeth over. She was dressed in a rather tastefully flattering dress. She seemed well fed and she had no visible marks of violence. She was scared and lost, the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her lack of sleep, but she had not been physically harmed. Coulson found a measure of relief from this knowledge but tucked it away to be contemplated later. The last thing he noted was that the gold band he had assumed was jewelry seemed to be completely solid. This was no trinket, it was a sign of possession.

/

Tony noticed Elizabeth's dress first. He felt a pang of guilt at thinking her rather pretty before noticing her expression. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks pale with fatigue. He quickly turned his attention from her and to Loki. He seemed very pleased with himself. The way he was holding her hand angered him. Loki looked like he was escorting her to a formal party rather than flaunting his stolen object. His rage at the mocking formality threatened to silence his biting wit.

/

Loki was thoroughly pleased with himself. He had picked the two best subjects to show his obedient pet to. The metal man harbored scars from his own captivity and the son of coul was endeared to the plight of the girl. He could not keep a small smirk from his expression. He let the mortals contemplate the moment before speaking. "I am sure you have been wondering how I have been faring. As you can see, I have been very well. I also wanted to show you my pet. She has been most entertaining and obedient. Clearly, she understands my benevolence to those obedient to me." He paused for effect.

Gently drawing the girl forward he noted her downcast face with satisfaction. She was the portrait of obedience. Releasing her hand, he gently stroked her chocolate hair. "Kneel"

/

I wanted no more than to disappear. To melt into the floor. Loki spoke with broad gestures but he never let go of my hand. Rather he remained holding it as though he was leading me in a dance. When he had finished speaking he pulled me in front of him.

I felt frozen by the gaze of everyone in the room. I looked at my feet as though they would magically get me away from there. I felt his long fingers caress my still damp hair with mocking tenderness. A shudder ran down my spine. I was a trinket to him. An object to be flaunted and used. I was the knife to be twisted into the sides of everyone I knew.

"Kneel" the command echoed in my head. The smooth voice dripping with sadistic glee. I knew that my obedience would seal the purpose in coming here, but I also knew that to disobey meant torture. Not just for me but for the two men carefully watching my reaction. Already my skin prickled and my gut clenched. Slowly, I lowered myself to my knees. The prickling sensation disappeared and I could feel the eyes of everyone on me.

/

Tony knew what Elizabeth felt. Unable to do anything but give in. He understood her shame. She had not wanted to defy her captor for fear of hurting others. From her posture, he knew that to disobey meant pain. His anger welled up inside of him and he disregarded any better judgement not to attack. He rocketed himself at the grinning demigod only to meet empty air. He turned to the chuckling form materialized several feet away. "You cannot touch me, mortal. Why do you still try?"

/

Coulson took the opportunity provided by Stark to get Elizabeth. He rushed to her side. The surprise attack of Ironman had knocked her to the floor. Phil quickly raised her to her feet and began pulling her over to the elevator doors. Jarvis had kept the doors open and waiting. Elizabeth looked dazedly at the agent.

Before they could reach the open doors, Loki appeared in front of them and reached for Elizabeth. He grabbed her arm and wrenched her away from Coulson. The last thing he saw was Elizabeth reaching back toward him, her mouth open in a silent plea for help. Then the golden light enveloped captor and captive, spiriting them away.


	15. The Trouble With Family

**I apologize for taking so long to post another. There will be a couple of chapters to be posted very soon. I will also be updating previous chapters with corrections to my grammar and punctuation. Please enjoy.**

Tony stepped over to the slumped form of Agent Coulson. The Ironman suit was gone now. Safely stored till he had need of his metal shell.

Coulson looked weary beyond his years. Leaning against the wall and breathing heavily, it was evident at how much healing he still had to do. Stark knelt down and took his hand. "Well," he said trying to sound cheery, "the heart works even at maximum capacity." The half smile Phil managed helped the mood.

Tony helped him stand. "I'd like to go to the lab and run a couple tests to make sure that everything still works in there." Coulson nodded. The elevator ride to the lab was spent in a heavy silence. Each man stewing in their own thoughts.

/

I pushed myself away from Loki even before the golden light had dissipated fully. My stomach churned and clenched. The overwhelming despair of being whisked away from those I trusted sunk heavily into my gut. I felt as though I couldn't breathe.

I stumbled blindly through several of the underground rooms before flopping pathetically on the cold floor. I wanted to cry. To scream. To run away from all of this. But I knew I couldn't get away. I was trapped in this. Even if I did manage to escape Loki, life would never be the same for me. I could never go back to being the naive teenager concerned with boys and going to college.

I realized that the life I had led was gone when this whole thing started. I had clung to a hope for normality for far too long. So I lay on the floor. There was nothing more for me to do. Everything around me felt surreal. Like this was some strange dream. It had felt this way the whole time. Now the world had slanted, become harder, darker. The heavy feeling of utter despair pervaded my body. I wanted to cry, but I knew it would accomplish nothing. So I stayed with my cheek pressed to the floor. Letting the chill of the stone work its way into my flesh.

/

Phil was tired. More tired than he had been in a long time. His heart had proved itself in high stress and activity but his body had barely kept up. The lung that had been pierced still made his breath raspy. His muscles protested after their disuse. Phil ignored those things as Stark performed check after check on his condition.

As Stark worked, Phil's mind analyzed what had just happened. Elizabeth was healthy. This gave him a small amount of comfort. He was happy to see her unhurt but he worried about her mental state. It was clear that she still had a will, her hesitance to kneel at Loki's command was obvious. But she also clearly knew that disobedience led to pain. Coulson had seen that much in her face. Phil knew that he was not going to sleep well tonight.

/

Tony ran the tests on agent Coulson without really thinking. Several times he found himself having to read the results twice to understand them. The look on Elizabeth's face kept floating to the surface of his mind. Her eyes were so full of fear and defeat. So like his own were had found a way to fight back, to use his knowledge to keep the defeat at bay. Elizabeth had no way to do that. Seeing her today had reopened old wounds.

/

By the time Loki made an appearance, I had gathered myself enough to function. I was sitting on the room's sofa, carefully inspecting the gold vine encircling the hem of my skirt. I had decided that I would try and make a case for Loki to let me go home.

Family had been an issue I kept securely in the back of my mind during this ordeal. I truly missed them. They were a large part of the empty sadness that ruled my heart.

I knew that many criminals thought twice when you mentioned family. I hoped that Loki would be the same. Surely he had a family Other than Thor.

When Loki walked in I stood and addressed him before I had time to lose my courage. "Loki, I want to see my family." The words came faster and faster. "I am only a kid still and I know my mom and dad and sister and brother are missing me. I promise that I will still do whatever you want. I just want to go back and be with my parents." I forced myself to hold his gaze. No emotion was visible on his face.

/

Loki was surprised at the feeling behind Elizabeth's plea. She had carefully avoided the topic of family since Loki was first stuck with her. Her expression held nothing but sincerity. Her affection for family as glaringly evident as Thor's ever was.

/

After a moment, Loki sat himself on the couch. His expression was softer, but I didn't trust the gentler expression. He looked at me like a parent would look at a small inquisitive child. "Family is not what you think it is. It is nothing worth missing or having. It cannot keep you safe or make you stronger."

I looked at him in disbelief. "But family cares for one another. What about Thor? Isn't he your brother? He seems to really love you."

As soon as the words passed my lips I knew I had made a mistake. Loki had gone rigid and anger burned in his cold eyes. He slowly rose to tower over me. "Thor is not my brother. He never has been. The people I called family were a lie. I was stolen from my true family. Taken as a prize." He practically vibrated with rage.

As I watched, the color drained from his face to reveal dark blue skin and blood red eyes. I stood paralyzed as he changed from a man to a monster. "I am what Asgard fears most. A creature seen in nightmares. I am cast out from both realms. I have no family." He hissed the last few words as his skin returned to the pale porcelain it was before.

He turned and sat on the couch again. I realized my mouth was hanging open and I was holding my breath. I snapped my jaw shut and focused my eyes on the floor. I wasn't sure what to do now.

My heart still raced with fear. His words had revealed more than he had intended. The fury was tinged with a certain sadness. A sadness that matched the lump in my stomach. He felt as trapped and hopeless as I did.

/

Loki had not intended to lose control quite so much as he did. He had only meant to illustrate the uselessness of holding on to the illusion of family. His feelings had burst to the surface unbidden.

He sat on the soft upholstery and rubbed his face. The pent up emotions made his stomach churn and he worked to squash down the feeling.

/

I looked over at Loki. His face had returned to the solid mask it had been before but his eyes held a tiny glint of sorrow. I felt my mouth form words without thinking.

"I'm sorry." I murmured. Loki didn't reply. He simply stood and disappeared.

/

Tony sat back in his chair, waiting for his story to sink in. The rest of the Avengers and Agent Coulson were silent. Fury had called an impromptu meeting to discuss what had happened at the tower.

Thor spoke first. "It seems Loki is trying to get a reaction out of each one of us. He has only appeared to a couple people at once and only at the tower. I think that if we can all remain at the tower, we may catch him unaware." Barton leaned forward. "Like an ambush?"

Thor hesitated for a moment. "Yes, like an ambush."


	16. Silence

**Two chapters in one day. I promised you that I would have a new chapter very soon. I really enjoy getting reviews. Even if they're just a few words. They always help motivate me. Please enjoy.**

I had decided to try and rest before Loki returned. I had eaten some food from the pantry and then settled on a particularly comfortable couch to sleep. When I woke, my body was sore and I was extremely thirsty. I hobbled to the bathroom and readied myself for another day.

When I managed to stumble out of the bathroom, Loki was waiting for me. Startled, I almost ran into him. I stumbled and he caught my arm. I noted that his grip was firm but gentle. When I tried to step away, he tightened his grip.

Looking up at him, I saw his jaw was set and he looked like he hadn't slept at all. "We have business elsewhere." His voice was smooth and emotionless. I knew what was coming next.

/

Tony had made arrangements for all of the Avengers to stay at the tower. Actually, Pepper had done the arranging. Tony had hidden from the others in his garage. He was currently reassembling an engine. As he worked, he wondered how much good the team could actually do to help Elizabeth.

Jarvis interrupted his thoughts. "Sir, I have detected an energy signature similar to that of Loki's in Times Square. Shall I alert the others?"

Tony stopped for a moment. "No, I'll go check it out alone. It might not be anything."

/

Loki and I appeared in the center of Times Square. I was surprised at the sudden bustle after being isolated for so long. Several people turned to stare at us and I unconsciously shuffled closer to Loki. He looked at me strangely. "You are to be completely silent. You cannot reveal anything to anyone by any means." His voice was low and smooth while he gave the commands.

I opened my mouth to protest but the tingling in my innards stopped me. He turned to walk away but I clung to his arm. I didn't want to stay with him, but I didn't want to be left in the middle of New York unable to communicate.

He turned and struck at me. As soon as I let go, he disappeared. I started to panic. I didn't know where to go or what to do. It was evening now and the constant flow of cars and people was deafening. Suddenly a pair of cold, hard arms wrapped around my waist. Then I was lifted from the ground. I screamed but regretted it immediately as pain racked my body. I closed my eyes against the stinging wind and held my breath till I was finally set down on solid ground.

The arms unwrapped but took hold of my shoulder when I stumbled. I looked up at the owner of the arms. To my mild surprise and great satisfaction I saw the half smiling face of Tony Stark.

"So what brings you to New York?" He grinned and raised his eyebrows playfully. I felt tears of relief prick my eyes. I finally gave in to my joy at being safe and leaned forward into his metal chest plate. Tears streamed down my face as I wrapped my arms around his waist.

The unnatural curves of the suit poked me at uncomfortable angles but I didn't want to let go. "Woah, woah." He exclaimed, awkwardly patting my back. "Salt probably isn't good for my paint!" I stepped back and wiped the fluid from my face.

The metal retracted and I looked at him sheepishly. I had just cried on one of the richest men in the world. Now dressed normally, he placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's pretty cold out here, lets go inside." Now that I thought about it, I was cold. And standing on a balcony wasn't helping.

He guided me through the glass doors and into a red carpeted room. Guiding me to a gold cushioned couch, he motioned for me to sit while he stepped over to a cupboard and poured two glasses of a dark gold liquid. He sat on the table in front of me and handed me a glass. "I think you deserve a drink after what happened." I took a tentative sip and let the alcohol drip a warm trail down my throat."Now," he said nonchalantly, "how did you end up back here?"

Before he had finished his question, Natasha and Clint burst through the door. Barton had an arrow nocked and aimed at me. I jumped up and Tony stepped protectively in front of me. "Hey Legolas, do you always come in without knocking?"

Barton glared at him."Jarvis said he detected Loki's energy signature in here. I don't think it's wise to trust her." He motioned at me and took a step closer.

Tony advanced on Barton. "I don't think she's a threat. When she showed up in the city, I went to go get her." He gestured at me. "Clearly she's had a rough time and you aren't making it any better. You are guests here just as she is now. This is my house and I will decide who is safe and who is not." Tony's voice was firm and just a little threatening.

Natasha whispered something in Clint's ear and he lowered his bow. He didn't look away from me. "Thank you." Tony's voice dripped with exasperation. "Now would you kindly get out." Natasha put her hand on her hip. "If she's going to stay here. I want to know how she got here and if we should trust your judgement." Tony looked over at me.

During their discussion, I had moved to stand behind a large arm chair. I had been told why Barton hated Loki so much and I didn't want him taking his anger out on me. Of all the Avengers, he frightened me the most.

...

After my initial agreement that all of the Avengers be told of my arrival, I was swept up into a flurry of activity. Now that everyone was seated in a variety of couches and chairs, I was expected to tell them everything that had happened. I decided that, despite Loki's magic, I would try to tell them everything.

With everyone silently waiting for me to speak, I was suddenly afraid that they wouldn't believe me. I took a breath and opened my mouth. Before any sound had reached my lips, the tingling sensation had already begun.

/

Tony was back in his workshop. He fiddled absently with one of his many projects. Elizabeth's attempts at communication had disturbed him. She never managed to croak out more than a few syllables before collapsing into a writhing heap. Writing had gone just as badly. Only a few frantic letters had made it onto the paper.

It bothered Tony that even at his tower, under his protection, she was not safe from Loki. He knew it had something to do with the collar. Each time she had collapsed, the green stone had seemed to glow. Jarvis had told him that the stone was the source of the energy and that each time Elizabeth had tried to communicate, it had given off more energy.

Tony had asked her if she had tried to remove it and she had showed him the cuts and bruises on her neck. Now she was resting in a room that Barton had insisted on guarding. Jarvis was monitoring her and Tony had retreated to his workshop for the rest of his sleepless night.

/

Bruce had been the first one to insist I stop trying for now. After the ordeal trying to write, he had picked me up and carried me to a bedroom. I had wiggled a bit in protest at being cradled like a child but stopped when I saw that his eyes were almost entirely green.

He set me down on the bed and gave my leg a reassuring pat. With a tired smile, he turned and left.

/

Bruce had felt the 'other guy' get increasingly restless throughout Elizabeth's attempts. It bothered the Hulk that he couldn't see what was hurting the girl. No one else in the room seemed to be causing the pain, but they weren't trying to help her either. The Hulk pushed on Bruce's conciousness.

Bruce resisted at first but when he realized that the 'other guy' just wanted to stop Elizabeth's pain, he let down a tiny portion of his barrier. The Hulk took the opportunity to push Banner's body into action.

The Hulk lifted the girl in Banner's arms. At a suggestion from Bruce, the Hulk carried the girl to a sleeping room. Bruce reassured the other guy that nothing would hurt the girl in that room and the hulk retreated reluctantly back behind Bruce's mental walls.

/

I found myself unable to rest despite my exhaustion. I wandered into the bathroom and splashed cold water over my face. Rubbing my face with a pure white towel, I tried to clear away all of the fear from the past few days. It had felt like weeks or even months had passed. Putting the soft towel to the side, I looked up at my face in the mirror. A chill shot down my spine. Beside my reflection was an unwelcome set of pale features. I refused to turn and face Loki, even when he reached out and set a hand on my shoulder.

I watched in the mirror as he leaned in, his gaze holding mine. His breath tickled my neck. "Two days, my pet, two days."

My mouth went dry. I only had two days with the people I trusted. Loki's gaze held mine still, watching his words sink in. He straightened and traced his fingers from my shoulder to the green gem in the collar. The stone grew brighter for a moment. Then Loki withdrew his hand and stepped back. "It is painful to have your words taken from you. Unlike my punishment was to be, I will restore your speech to you when I return." Loki's eyes betrayed just the smallest hint of sympathy and sorrow before he was gone.

/

Barton rushed into the bathroom. He had stayed on guard at the door for hours now. He was beginning to think he was overreacting like Tony had said. Then he heard the thump of a body hitting the wall.

He was already planning his 'I told you so' speech when he saw the girl slumped between the wall and the toilet. The smell of bile bit faintly at his nose and he noted Elizabeth's faint sheen of sweat. On the floor, half covered by Elizabeth's dress, lay a notepad and a broken pencil.

After making sure that Elizabeth was alive and stable, he inspected the sloppy writing. The letters were large and dark from pressing down hard. The message was short and simple.

_Loki here 2 days._


	17. A Mother's Love

**I hope to update soon after this. I'm mulling over two ways that this could go. Please justify and help motivate my writing. I really love hearing from any readers. Please enjoy.**

Loki had left Elizabeth standing in Times Square knowing that Stark would undoubtedly have a detector tuned for Loki's own magic. He was confident that someone would come and retrieve her but he stayed close by to watch. For some inexplicable reason, he did not want anything to befall the girl.

He tried to convince himself that this concern stemmed solely from his plan, but the small tendril of emotion that wrapped around his heart was becoming more difficult to ignore. He watched as the man of iron lifted her into the air and away to his tower.

Loki now focused on the task at hand. He was within the palace walls of Asgard. He cast a glamour over himself and walked swiftly to his mother's chambers. When he reached the door, he hesitated for a moment. He could feel her energy inside but he was unsure that he wanted to confront her.

He could deny all of Asgard. He could accept that he was unwanted. But he could not erase his love for his mother. When Odin had favored Thor, Frigga had taught Loki magic equal to Thor's strength.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door flying open and Frigga wrapping her arms around Loki's neck. She loosened her embrace only to usher Loki over the threshold. When the door was safely closed, Loki dropped his glamour and gently disentangled himself and his mother.

/

Frigga had felt her son's presence as he stood at her door. Unable to contain her joy, she had flung herself on the disguised Loki without warning. If any one had been watching, they would have thought it odd for the queen to act so familiar with a lowly scribe. Now that Loki stood before her in his true form, she saw his drawn features and tired eyes. "My son." She murmured, cupping his cheek in her hand.

"I am not your son." He answered sadly. Frigga felt tears prick her eyes. "You may not be birthed from my own flesh, but you are every bit my son." Loki looked strained. "My life here was a lie. Yet you are earnest in your love. I am an irredeemable monster, yet still I try to win the approval of Asgard. Even now, I work to create a world for all to live peacefully."

Frigga opened her mouth to speak but Loki stopped her. "I create the world for you now. Not for Odin or for Asgard. The world I am making will be proof that I am worthy to rule. Proof that this monster can be fair and just and good. I can create a peaceful realm for all creatures." He was grasping her hands tightly now.

Frigga saw the earnestness in Loki's eyes. His desire to prove his worth burned brightly fueled by his pain and sadness. Frigga sat down on her chaise. Loki sat with her, waiting to hear what she clearly wanted to say.

She pulled his head onto her shoulder, gently running her fingers through his raven hair. "My son, my dear heart, you do not need to prove anything. You have never been a monster, never. I care not of realms won or lost. Only that my family is safe and well." She pushed Loki away so that she could look into his eyes. "I love you, Loki. All that I desire is to have both of my sons close to me."

/

All of the Avengers were gathered around a table in Stark Tower. Fury sat at the head looking thoughtfully at Elizabeth's note. Suddenly he slammed it down onto the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have been handed a beautiful opportunity to catch our dear friend Loki. He will be making an appearance at whatever location Elizabeth happens to be at. We can make plenty of preparations in two days time." He looked at each of the Avengers in turn.

"Thor, I need you to help Stark and Banner in any manner possible. Captain, Romanov, Barton, you will be in charge of select teams of agents." Fury nodded his dismissal and watched the slow procession of people leave the room.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he took a deep breath. There was no way they could be fully prepared for what could come.

/

Elizabeth sat on the bed. She still felt tired from last night and her frustration at not being able to communicate was growing. She was hungry but she didn't dare leave the room. She knew that Jarvis was to notify everyone if she stepped outside the door. Eventually she decided to make use of the adjoined shower.

The water felt good on my tired muscles. I let my mind go blank, forgetting the tension of the present. I don't know how long I stayed under the hot water but it never ran out. When I finally let myself come back to the present, I found new undergarments, a simple black t-shirt, and jeans in place of the green dress. I relished being back in normal clothing even though the collar gave a strange contrast to the outfit. To my further pleasure, the shirt was cut for a man and hung a couple sizes too large for my frame. Finally, I was wearing something that didn't scream magic with a perfectly tailored fit. Along with the outfit was a note, _If you get tired of being a shut in, you can come join me in the lounge. Coulson_

Taking a few tentative steps out into the hall, I listened for any alarms going off. When I couldn't hear any, I padded along the short stretch of hall to the lounge. To my great relief, I found Coulson leaning against the stove. The smell of pancakes made my mouth water.

"So, I take it you didn't sleep very well." Coulson's voice sounded rather cheery. I took a seat at the bar behind him. He turned away from the stove and put a heaping plate of pancakes in front of me. "You look hungry." He said with a friendly smile. "I'll cook as many as you want."He handed me a fork and I dug into the hot cakes with relish. I didn't even bother to put syrup on them.

When I finally managed to eat my fill, Coulson settled me on a couch and produced two pistols. He set these on the coffee table in front of us. Settling himself on the couch next to me, he placed one of the guns in my hand.

I have never particularly liked guns of any sort but I grew up in rural Kansas, so I knew how to handle a gun and how to shoot. I had never enjoyed getting lessons on guns, they always made me nervous. I had always felt that it was too much power entrusted to my clumsy care. Now, I felt the same nervousness but it was accompanied by a feeling of uselessness against the true enemy.

I tried to give the gun back to Coulson. I tried to make him understand my fear of hurting a friend and not being any use against Loki. He refused to take it back. "You should have some form of self defense." I reluctantly gave in. He showed me how it worked, where to keep it and how to draw and arm it at the same time. When he was satisfied with my ability, we settled back down on the couch and Phil turned on a movie. I have no idea what it was because it was not long after that I fell asleep.


	18. A Monster Close to Home

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I passed the two days with Coulson. Now that it was time for Loki to make an appearance, I was confined to a lounge on a lower level. There were always people flitting around the edges of the room. I didn't recognize anyone. I sat uncomfortably on a couch in the middle of the room. I entertained myself by making up stories about the agents I saw. When I got bored of that, I slept. A couple of times, I got up and found some food in the kitchen portion of the lounge. I might have been allowed to watch tv but I didn't feel like asking.

As the day wore on, everyone became more and more agitated. The nervous tension made the air unbreathably thick. I watched the sunlight begin to fade and realized that the whole day was almost gone. It was when the sun turned the clouds blood red that anything happened.  
/

Banner was not enjoying the wait for Loki to make an appearance. The tension was really getting to him, he had almost lost control twice. Finally, he had gone down into the workshop with Tony. He found the man studiously tinkering with some sort of machinery. When Banner stepped out of the elevator, Stark greeted him warmly. "So," he said with a grin, "Fury's takeover finally get to you?" Bruce nodded. "I had to get away for a bit."

Tony and Bruce spent the rest of the afternoon working on one of Tony's side projects. When the alarm was finally sounded, they almost grudgingly tore away from the project.

/

I was half asleep again. Boredom leads to few other options. My half closed lids shot open at the blaring of the alarm. The room had become suddenly chill and everyone vibrated with nervous energy. Then he appeared, a frightening visage standing in the center of the room. Several shots were fired but he waved a hand and they stopped to hover in the air.

No one else tried to take a shot. I realized that I too had a gun but had failed to draw it. I decided that taking it out now would be counterproductive. I might have better luck using it later.

Suddenly, a thick muscled arm wrapped around my throat and I was dragged backward a few steps. Loki turned and looked at me and my attacker with mild amusement. A cold blade tip pressed to the small of my neck just below the collar. Loki chuckled. "Do you really think you can threaten me? She is of no value. Merely an entertaining pet."

Barton's voice rumbled against my back. "Then why did you keep her? Why go to the trouble of maintaining her well being?" The point of the blade bit sharply into my skin. "Maybe I should just get rid of her for you. Make it impossible for you to use her anymore." The metal dug deeper into my flesh, prompting a sharp breath from me. A tiny trickle of warmth dripped down my sternum.

/

Natasha could hardly believe what Clint was doing. It was not unlike him to threaten others in this way, but he had never gone this far before. This threat was not a ruse. Clint would have no qualms about killing the girl. He seemed fervently determined to hurt Loki in any way he could find. Natasha could not fathom what sort of damage Loki did to prompt Clint's behavior.

Natasha stayed carefully concealed and tried to find a way to stop Clint without inadvertently helping Loki. She didn't have to wait long before the answer strode into the room.

/

Steve found himself in the middle of a rapidly deteriorating scene. Loki watched with an amused expression while Hawkeye pricked a red flow from Elizabeth. Rogers found himself acting to protect Elizabeth before letting himself think. "Barton! Stand down!" His authoritative manner drawing the momentary attention of everyone in the room.

Natasha took this opportunity to act. She leapt down from her vantage point and delivered a swift kick to Barton's elbow. Her foot struck the complex of nerves in the joint, forcing Barton's fingers to release the knife. At the same time, Steve flung his shield at Loki.

/

Thor watched the whole spectacle unfold from an adjoining hallway. He found himself wanting to act but confused as to whom was the enemy. His brother or his teammate? Unable to decide, he simply stood with mjolnir dangling useless in his fist.

/

Bruce was feeling useless as he always did. He had opted to watch from security cameras instead of risking the safety of others by joining the battle. He watched as Barton's manner went from calm and controlled to angry and vengeful. He found himself pitying the archer. He understood the rage that coursed in the Clint's veins. After all, it coursed in his as well.

/

Tony had escorted Banner to the security booth S.H.I.E.L.D. had set up in his tower. The last thing Stark wanted was a big green rage monster loose in his home. He figured that all of the extra agents would be able to take care of Loki till Iron Man got there. Now, he hovered just outside the window as Steve's shield came crashing through the glass.

He caught the gaudy metal disk and made a mental note to pester the captain about the damage later.

/

Rogers knew he had moved too slow when his shield passed through the air where Loki had been just moments before. As the disc shattered the thick glass, he saw Stark reach out almost leisurely to grab the disc. Assured that his weapon was safe, he turned to Barton. Clint was looking dumbly at his empty arms. Just behind him and Natasha, stood Loki and Elizabeth.

/  
I couldn't decide wether I was glad to be away from Barton or not. An old saying popped into my head. Out of the frying pan, into the fire. I dismissed the thought. This was no time for being distracted. Reaching into my waistband, I pulled out Coulson's gun. With a tiny spark of pride, I managed to arm it on the draw just as Phil had shown me. Twisting away from Loki's loose grip on my shoulder, I aimed the gun at the dark man beside me. Pulling the trigger, I hoped that maybe shooting Loki point blank would have an effect.

Contrary to my expectations, it did. The bullet tore a hole through his leather armor and into his side. His face froze in an expression of surprise and horror.

/

Thor watched in horror as the projectile penetrated the weak side panel of Loki's armor. He hardly knew that he was screaming till his own voice reverberating in his ears nearly deafened him. Loki met his frantic gaze for a moment before collapsing into a heap. Thor pushed past several agents and took the room in a few long strides. Gathering Loki in his arms, he strode out onto the balcony and looked to the sky. "Heimdal!" His desperate cry echoed even after the flash of light had enveloped them both.

/

Time seemed to slow to a near standstill. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I watched the emotions flit across Loki's expression. Disbelief giving way to confusion leading to a strange look of betrayal. Thor's voice ripped through the air and Loki turned to look at the hulking blonde. The thump of Loki hitting the floor drove the sharp point of guilt into my chest. Loki reached out and grabbed my wrist. pulling me close, he muttered something i couldn't quite hear. Thor reached Loki and batted me aside. His touch driving the stake even deeper into my heart.

When Thor was carried off into the light, I felt time return to its normal speed. Suddenly there were people all around me. A few people thumped my back in congratulations, others shot me looks of understanding or even pity. Before I knew it, the jumbled faces of the agents had dwindled to only a few stragglers. I still stood where Thor had shoved me. My heart was beginning to slow its pace and my body started to register its tiredness. My mind had yet to catch up to these things though. The scene replayed incessantly in my head. I felt hollow, as though I would float away.

Steve was the first to try and speak to me. It took me several moments to grasp that his lips were moving. Finally, when he put a hand on my shoulder, I was able to make sense of the sounds he made. "...Elizabeth, can you hear me? Are you alright? Elizabeth?" I nodded numbly.


	19. An Unhappy Reunion

Almost a whole day passed before Thor came back. I had spent that time alternately sleeping and wandering aimlessly around the tower. Bruce had told me that I was in shock and Steve sat me down and told me that it was not my fault I had shot him. Steve tried to tell me everything was alright, that I had done nothing wrong. I had nodded dutifully but my insides still felt hollow.

I was angry at Loki for all he had done. He had tried to subjugate the world once, failed, and then he had torn me away from my quaint little life. I had wanted him dead so many times, but I never imagined that I would be the one to kill him. I wasn't even sure he really deserved to die. I had seen glimpses of hurt, sadness, and loneliness beneath his mask. I hated him, but my hate hid a certain amount of sympathy. He had taken me away and made it impossible to return to my life. He had put me through what he had experienced and I had almost grown to understand his pain.

I was trudging aimlessly around on the balcony when Thor returned. He appeared in a brilliant white light a few feet from myself. Touching my gently on the shoulder as he passed, he swept inside to where Tony was watching me pace.

/

Tony was less than pleased, Thor was insisting upon taking Elizabeth back to Asgard to see Loki. "Do you really think Loki will just undo everything on command?" Stark sipped his drink and waited for a reply from Thor. "His magic has been bound and it will only be unbound in order to remove the collar from Elizabeth. In his weakened state, he cannot do much to harm anyone." Thor took a deep breath. "Loki is the only one who can remove the collar, it was his magic that placed it there and it will only respond to his touch."

Stark almost lost his drink. "Oh, so now we're letting him touch her? What do you think that will do to Elizabeth? Did you not see how she cringes away from him? It's obvious that he's hurt her! Why do you think it's a good idea to give him another chance?"

Thor stood abruptly. "It is the only way." Before Tony realized what was happening, Thor had brushed past Stark and out onto the balcony. He wrapped one arm around Elizabeth, pulling her into his chest. Stark rushed out, but not before the white light had carried the god and the mortal away.

/

I had heard everything Thor and Tony had said. If they had asked me, I would have told them I was completely willing to go with Thor. When Thor and I appeared in Asgard he tried to apologize. I reassured him that I wasn't mad with a firm pat on his arm and a somewhat forced smile. He seemed to brighten then. "Lady Elizabeth, welcome to my home." He put a hand on my shoulder and stepped away so I could see where we were.

I felt my jaw drop and I could hardly breathe. The room we were standing in was a dome of sparkling gold, in the center, stood the tallest man I had ever seen. He was taller than Thor and dressed in gold armor more extravagant than Loki's. Thor guided me closer and greeted the giant. "Heimdal, how fares my brother?" He turned and looked down at me. I felt tiny and naked under his golden eyes. "He is well kept with Frigga." Thor smiled warmly, "Thank you Heimdal." Thor bustled me happily past the sentry and onto the bridge. I marveled at the sparkling colors beneath our feet.

When we reached the city, I was unable to take everything in. An ache at the beauty of everything settled in my heart. Before I knew it, we were inside the palace. The sparkling exterior hardly gave warning for the beautiful interior. The sculpted vaults of the ceiling glittered with precious gems and metals, marble in a rainbow of colors served for the walls and floors. I felt very out of place in my plain black t-shirt and jeans.

We finally came to a carved wooden door. Thor knocked twice and the door was opened by a beautiful woman. She wore a flowing creme dress not unlike the ones Loki had provided for me. When she saw Thor, her face crinkled into a smile and she planted a firm kiss on his cheek. Thor wrapped her in an embrace. "Hello mother."

The woman ushered us inside and shut the door. "Lady Elizabeth, how lovely to make your acquaintance. I am Frigga, mother of Thor and Loki." Her kind face didn't look old enough to be the mother of the two men but I assumed that Asgardians aged differently. Her smile filled the room with a happiness and kindness that seemed to soak into your bones. I couldn't help but feel safe and loved in her presence.

She looked me over with a pointed glance at the collar. "Now, I assume that you will want to see Loki." I nodded and she gestured toward a door nearby. "He's just through there. Come with me." She walked swiftly toward the door and I had to rush to keep up. She tapped softly before opening the door. She gently nudged me inside and shut the door after her.

The room was pleasantly lit and furnished in golds and light pinks. On a couch at the opposite end sat Loki. He was dressed in his simple tunic and pants. He almost looked like he belonged. He smirked when he saw me. "My, you look well. Come to collect on my promise, yes? Well, I swore it and I shall honor my word." He rose and approached.

Frigga stepped forward, she gently grasped his arm and pulled up his sleeve. To my surprise, a slim gold band with engravings very similar to the collar was wrapped around his wrist. The only difference was that, instead of a green stone, it was set with an opalescent crystal. Frigga wrapped her slim fingers around the band and I watched as it seemed to melt open and reshape in her hand.

Loki took a deep breath and rubbed his wrist. He seemed larger now, I would have been frightened had Frigga not been by my side. Looking me over again, he waved a hand and my body was engulfed in gold light. It pulsed once and I felt that the form of my clothing had changed. I was back in a emerald green dress, this time with an embroidered cape. I humphed to express my irritation at being taken out of my normal earth clothes.

An impish grin split Loki's face and he looked at his mother in childish glee. She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Loki, it may be lovely but that is not what she is here for." His face fell slightly. "Fine." He turned to face me fully. "I rescind all previous commands." I felt an invisible weight lift from my shoulders.

"Thanks," My voice was scratchy from disuse. I cleared my throat and gestured at the collar. "Now can you take this thing off?" He looked at me for a moment. Frigga gave a nod. Slowly, Loki wrapped both hands around the metal. Suddenly he yanked me forward. He leaned down so that we were eye to eye. His eyes held a look of desperation and fear. "Don't leave me."

Frigga yanked Loki away. She grabbed his wrist and replaced the bracelet. It took a moment to realize what had just happened. When the full force of the truth hit me, my knees buckled and I thumped down on the marble floor.

/

Frigga shook her son by the shoulders. "Why, Loki, why? What is the purpose of prolonging her suffering? Her release would have helped to redeem you in the eyes of the Allfather. Why do you ask for greater punishment?" Loki looked into her eyes and she saw the naked answer within them. Dropping her hands to her sides, Frigga let the anger in her gut die. Turning on her heel, she glided through the door, shutting it behind her.

/

I was hardly aware that Frigga had left. After I had found out that I hadn't killed Loki, the empty feeling of guilt had left. Now, I almost regretted not killing him. I felt a fire well up in me. Loki had ruined my life even further now. With a feral cry, I threw myself at him with all my might. I hit him in the side, making him curl over in pain. I hit and scratched at his face, kicked at his legs and stomach. He gasped when one of my knees connected with his ribcage.

I managed a couple more solid hits before he lashed out at me. I was flung several feet away. Picking myself up, I lunged at him again. This time, he was ready. He grabbed a handful of my hair and held me at arms length. His grip yanked tears to my eyes. I flailed pitifully, trying to loosen his grip, then I gave up. When I quit fighting, he released me and sat back down, heavily, on the couch. I slunk away to the opposite corner of the room and settled myself down on the pink marble floor.

It was not long before Frigga reappeared. She looked at Loki then at me. "I've prepared a room for you both. I'll show you to it." She gracefully led us through her chambers to another room. This one contained two huge beds separated by a folding panel. Both beds were draped in a soft gold. The room itself was a light creme color, like most everything else in the queen's chambers.

Frigga set herself to playing the good hostess and informed us that dinner was to be served in two hours. She shot me a meaningful look. "If you need anything, there will always be someone around." I nodded. Satisfied, She turned and rustled softly out of the room.

Loki flopped down on one of the huge beds and exhaled pitifully. Wanting to avoid him as much as possible, I trudged over and sat myself on an edge of the other mattress. Another sigh emanated from behind the painted partition. Then there was silence for a while.

I had taken to inspecting the new dress I wore. It was made of a green silk with an almost metallic sheen. It was fit slimly to my body with a short train and a wide boat neck. Around my neck, fastened just below the collar, hung a long green cape of a slightly thicker material. The cape itself was embellished with tiny embroidered vines and sparkling gems. I unfastened the cape and let it fall to the white marble floor.

The metal fastener crashed loudly on the stone. Another loud sigh. The silence dragged on for a few moments longer. Finally, I broke it with a timid voice. "I was glad you weren't dead." Loki's voice came as almost a laugh. "Was?"

"Yeah, was. Thor would have killed me if you were dead." I snapped back. Now Loki did laugh, a sharp, harsh laugh. "You are an awful liar. I know you were glad for reasons other than Thor and your freedom." he paused, "You think I deserve pity." I heard a rustling like he had rolled over. "I don't need your sympathy."

**Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I cannot guarantee any updates soon, but I will try. Please review, reviews are the greatest motivation to me. Until next time, stay imaginative.**


	20. Younger Brother

Frigga was trying desperately to calm Thor. When she had told him what had happened with Elizabeth, Frigga was barely able to keep Thor from breaking down the door. She sent him away until she had settled Elizabeth and Loki into a different room. After Thor had left, she gathered her son and the girl into a guest room in her chambers.

She left them both and retired to her sitting room. Settling herself down with a bit of embroidery, she let her fingers wander while she thought. She loved her son, but it was hard to understand his recent actions. She knew that Loki only wanted to prove himself. She also knew that he had begun to feel something for Elizabeth. He did not love her, nor did she love him, but they had each begun to understand each other and share the sadness and loneliness of their parallel situations. Loki wanted Elizabeth to stay because she respected him and understood his feelings more than he did. Elizabeth had been happy to learn Loki was alive because she felt sympathy, not pity, for him.

Frigga sighed. Looking at the fabric in her hands, she saw that the deer she was stitching had suddenly gained two fawns. One was silver green with just sprouting antlers. The other was a tiny, sand colored doe. Setting the stitching aside, she rose to go find Thor.

/

Dinner began with a tense silence. Frigga collected Loki and myself and showed us to a huge hall with a giant table. It was all too familiar to Loki's private palace before Thor had destroyed it. Thor was already seated and he rose as we entered. Loki seated me before settling comfortably into the neighboring chair. Frigga sat herself at the head of the table. "It will just be us dining tonight, I'm afraid my husband is indisposed this evening."

Frigga made a motion and several servants appeared with great trays of food and drink. The meal was spent in relative silence. Thor ate ravenously while Loki quietly took his fill. I picked at the unusual but delicious food. My appetite had rather been ruined by the days events. When Thor finally sat back with a contented sigh, The servants reappeared and whisked away the dishes and silverware. Frigga suggested that we all adjourned to her sitting room.

Soon we were all settled in the pastel and gold room. Thor took up half of a couch, Loki settled himself into a chaise, Frigga took a comfortable looking chair, and I sat nervously on the edge of a chair near her. Settling in, Frigga took up her embroidery and turned to me.

"So Elizabeth, how do you find Asgard? Is it to your liking?" I stuttered for a moment, trying to find the right words. "It is very lovely here. I feel very out of place. I am not used to being somewhere so grand." Thor smiled. "I do not think you look out of place Lady Elizabeth. Not with such a lovely gown. Your beauty would rival many ladies of the court." I blushed at Thor's compliment. Loki grinned mischievously at me. "Yes," he said raising his eyebrows, "I do find it rather flattering." I blushed even harder now.

Frigga cleared her throat softly. "Elizabeth, do you embroider?" I nodded, my cheeks still burning. She handed me a large piece of blue fabric and a needle strung with a silvery thread. I accepted it with a timid thank you. She nodded. "The thread is enchanted so that it will never run out and it will change its color when you so desire." I was unsure of what to say, so I nodded again.

Soon, the conversation changed from pleasant chatter, to the events of the day. I focused pointedly on my embroidery while Thor dove head first into the most delicate subject possible. "Brother, I do not understand why you will not simply let Lady Elizabeth return to her home." Thor looked imploringly at Loki. Loki simply shifted his weight and looked straight back at Thor. "You cannot possibly understand my reasoning. You are much too simple in your convictions." Thor let his temper rise. "I am not a dullard. It is you who are too simple to see the wrong in your actions."

Seeing the imminent conflict between her sons, Frigga cleared her throat loudly. "I think it has been a long day for us all. I suggest that we retire and continue this discussion in the morning." Loki rose quickly and stalked off to the bedroom. Thor watched him go. "Mother," he said quickly but Frigga cut him off. "Sleep well my son. I will speak with you on the morrow." With a quick nod and a grunted farewell, Thor left for his chambers.

I rose quietly to leave, but Frigga stopped me. She stood and placed her delicate fingers on my shoulder. Looking up to meet her gaze, I was reminded of how tall she really was. Her sons stood at least a head higher but Frigga still cut an imposing figure. She smiled softly at me. "Tomorrow I would like you to join me at midday." I nodded. "Sleep well, Lady Elizabeth." Then she turned and glided softly down the hall.

/

Loki disrobed and sat himself on the bed a bit harder than strictly necessary. _Why does Thor insist that everything I do is unjustified or malicious?_ Loki settled himself under the thick gold covers. _It was always that way I suppose,_ he grumbled internally. _Thor never saw what I did as being worthy. Neither did Odin._ He paused in his thoughts to listen as Elizabeth padded softly across the room. He listened to the quiet noises she made as she went through the motions of going to bed.

When he heard her breathing finally grow deep and even, he returned to his train of thought. _Mother taught me magic and made me strong, but she has taken even that from me now. _Tears pricked his eyes. _I tried to prove myself. I tried to help Asgard and I was hated for it._ Breath caught in his throat suddenly. _I tried to create a world of peace for myself. Even for that I was hated._ Rubbing his eyes, he harshly pushed back the flood of sorrow. After a while, he finally fell into a fitful sleep.

...

Loki's thoughts swirled in his brain even after he finally fell asleep. They changed and morphed into strange creatures and colors intent on swallowing him. He found himself in a dark void. A star twinkled in the distance and he felt a sudden urge to move toward it. He ran, his footsteps meeting solid matter in the emptiness. He ran and ran but the star got no closer. Suddenly, behind him, he heard the voice of Thanos rumble. It got closer and closer till he could feel breath on his neck. Thanos was calling his name over and over. Loki ran even faster toward the one bright point. The star was getting bigger now, a few strides more and he saw that the star was really Frigga and Thor. He reached out for his brother but felt the weight of a thousand chains holding him back. Frigga was reaching for him now. Thor's expression turned to one of disgust. Lifting his hammer, Thor struck a great blow to Loki's ribs. Loki felt himself falling being pulled down by the invisible chains. He tried to yell for help, to scream for Frigga, but each time he opened his mouth, the laughter of Thanos came out. He was dragged into the blackness as the laughter grew louder.

Then he stopped falling, the laughter was gone. He opened his eyes to see a golden maiden with eyes like green gems. She approached his prone form and knelt over him. She gently stroked his face and muttered something comforting. He felt a sweet calmness sweep over him. She gracefully stood and the gold melted from her body to reveal a tiny fawn. The fawn took two steps and collapsed. Loki sat up and saw that a thin gold thread was wrapped around both his and the fawn's leg. Then the dream dissolved around him and he saw Elizabeth sneaking out of his bed.

/

I woke to a terrifying noise. For a moment, I was disoriented by the huge soft bed and the high ceiling lit with moonlight. Then I heard the suffocated scream again and it all came flooding back to me. I was tempted to let Loki suffer, but his thrashing and labored breathing reminded me all to much of the time my little brother had a nightmare. I had been struggling to get to sleep and had gone for a drink of water. When I passed his room, I heard him groaning and it terrified me that he was so scared. The sounds coming from the other side of the partition echoed in my heart as if I was hearing my own sibling.

With a mild groan at the cold air, I quickly flipped off my covers and tiptoed over to Loki's bedside. His eyes darted crazily beneath the lids and bits of his hair were stuck to his damp forehead. His mouth opened and closed like he was trying to speak and his breath came in short gasps. Periodically he would shake his head or move his arm. Thinking that he looked very small and childlike, I felt a tug on my heart the same as if he were my brother or sister.

The bed was so large, I had to climb up on the edge to even reach him. I placed my hand on his head and smoothed back the hair from his face. His eyes shot open in terror, darting here and there without really seeing. "Hey," I murmured. "Hey, it's okay, you're only dreaming, it's okay. You're just having a nightmare, its okay." He seemed to relax a bit so I kept stroking his forehead. After a few more moments, his breathing steadied and he closed his eyes again.

I waited for a moment before carefully moving toward the edge of the bed. He looked so serene now, I didn't want to disturb him. Once again, the thought crossed my mind that he reminded me terribly of my own brother. I had almost made it over the edge of the bed before Loki woke with a start. He grabbed the hem of my white nightgown, startling me. He looked at me accusingly. "What are you doing?"

The small, childish, Loki was gone from his face now. Returned was the man I feared. "I was... Just... I mean... You were having a nightmare." I felt the blood rise in my cheeks. I realized how awful this looked. Me in a nightgown, trying to sneak out of a grown man's bed. He looked at me a moment longer then his expression changed ever so slightly. "Why would you be concerned about my dreams?" Indignant at the situation and irritated by his tone, I yanked the hem of the gown away from him. "I couldn't very well sleep with all your whimpering." Now firmly planted on the ground, I turn on my heel and marched pointedly around the partition back to my own bed. I could almost feel his grin on my back.

**Thank you to those that commented and helped me to push through this chapter. Comments truly make a difference to me. Until next time, stay driven.**


	21. Tea With the Queen

When Elizabeth woke, she realized that it was late morning and that Loki was nowhere to be seen. Making her way to the adjoined bathroom, she found a beautiful bronze colored dress and cape folded on the nightstand. After bathing, she dressed and left to go looking for Frigga.

/

Frigga was waiting for Elizabeth in the sitting room. Frigga had conjured the dress and the bath for her as soon as she felt Elizabeth's energy begin to stir. While Frigga waited for the girl, she inspected Elizabeth's stitching from the night before. Her stitches were small and delicate, the skill easily recognizable. On the blue cloth, was a half finished emerald vine twined around something that was unrecognizable in its current state. Frigga set it aside as Elizabeth entered.

/

I felt silly in the bright fabric and tiny crystals that made up the dress. The fitted form made me feel exposed despite the long sleeves and draping cape. The boat neck made me self conscious of the contrast my dull, pale shoulders had against the bright fabric.

When I entered the sitting room, Frigga stood and greeted me warmly. "How did you sleep last night Elizabeth?" I forced myself to stand straight. "Very well, thank you." She nodded knowingly. "Would you join me for a short walk in my garden?" I nodded and she led me to a set of wide doors.

Stepping through them, the sunlight engulfed her form and her light gold dress made her skin and hair glow. I was momentarily breathtaken by her splendor. Then I followed her through the door and was struck with an even more beautiful sight. The garden was filled with a multitude of plants and flowers I had never seen. The sunlight illuminated the seemingly limitless hues of green and all other shades of the rainbow. As we stepped further into the foliage, I noticed flowers that seemed to be made of precious stones and metals. I touched one of these and was surprised to find it was alive and growing. Once or twice, I swore I saw a flash of fur or feathers among the leaves.

It was a while before we finally reached another set of wooden doors. Pushing through these, I found that we were in a different part of the palace. Turning to me again, she smiled at the traces of wonder still evident in my expression. "And now I think we should visit the kitchens. You're hungry." I opened my mouth to protest but a small groan from my stomach spoke for me. She smiled again and led me to a small door down the hall.

Upon opening this door, the smell of a thousand different foods greeted us. Placing a light hand on my shoulder, she guided me through the kitchens. Dodging the rushing bodies and nodding in acknowledgement to each 'my lady' and 'your majesty', we made our way to the back where a small alcove housed a table and a couple of chairs.

It was sheltered from the bustle of the main kitchens and very cozy in comparison to the rest of the airy palace. After we had set down, a young girl, younger than most I had seen, brought us a loaf of bread, jelly, two cups, and a pot of aromatic tea. After serving us both, she scurried off to the main kitchens again. Taking a small sip of tea, Frigga smiled contentedly. Hoping that I was not too bold, I voiced what had been nagging me since last night. "How is it that when I woke this morning, Loki was gone, but I'm not supposed to be apart from him?"

Frigga took a small bite of bread. "He only commanded that you not leave him, he may come and go as he pleases, as long as it is his choice to do so. Therefore, when he left you in your chamber this morning, he freed you from all responsibility to stay with him, until you meet again." I nodded. Wanting to move from the uncomfortable subject of my bondage, I racked my brain for something to say.

"Your garden is very beautiful. I've never seen anything like it." She laughed softly. "It is collected from many different realms. It is also the only one in Asgard." I realized that I had not seen any other growing things in the city. "Why is it the only one?" Frigga sighed sadly. "Magic is not generally considered a worthwhile pursuit in Asgard."

I furrowed my brows. "What does magic have to do with the garden?" She chuckled again. "Magic is not just for conjuring things. Magic is in everything. Even without knowing it, everyone can use magic. Magic is what makes some people good at growing things, others compose music, and still others create beautiful works of art." I still didn't really understand but it all sounded very nice. She must have seen my lingering confusion because she chuckled at me. "Magic is the energy that we take from our surroundings. We use that energy to live and breathe. The excess energy can be stored and released to perform a multitude of other things" I decided that it all sounded very zen to me.

I ventured another question. "So, if everyone can have magic, why don't people here like it?" Frigga filled my cup again before speaking. "It is not that they do not like it, magic is just not considered an equal to brute force. Most magic here is used to make household tasks easier. Loki is one of the very few to use it in combat. Many warriors think that using magic in a fight is deceitful and dishonorable." She swished her hand dismissively. "I don't determine what is right and what is wrong." Finishing off her slice of bread, she looked at me thoughtfully. "I think it is time we returned to my chambers. We have some unfinished business with my sons."

/

Loki had left Elizabeth just before the early rays of dawn shone above the horizon. Wandering the quiet halls of the palace, he felt an aching sadness bubble up from the dark recesses of his heart. He missed Asgard. Not because he loved the place or the people, because it was his home. His childhood had been bright in between the sparkling columns. He had loved his family then.

When his peers had surpassed him in physical prowess, and he found himself the butt of jokes, he had found refuge with his mother and her knowledge of magic. Odin and Thor never quite understood, but they accepted him and his talents readily enough. When others were not so kind, Loki sought revenge in practical jokes.

Lost in his thoughts, Loki didn't notice that the rest of the palace was waking up till he almost ran into a very disheveled looking Fandral. Recovering quickly, Loki shot the man a sideways sneer. "Been having fun lately?" Fandral swept back his hair, inadvertently revealing a dainty red handprint on his cheek. Straightening himself, Fandral rolled his eyes ever so slightly. "Good morning to you too." Fandral shot a glance at the gold peeking out from under Loki's sleeve. "Are you looking for Thor?"

Loki didn't answer. Instead, he brushed briskly past Fandral and headed toward the library. He intended to lose himself for the day in a jumble of books. To his ever growing irritation, he found his plans thwarted yet again by Hogun and Volstagg. They were locked in a heated argument and Loki almost slipped past them. Volstagg was the first to notice the dark figure. "Ah! Loki! Are you looking to break your fast? If you are, I just might have to join you."

Hogun scoffed and rolled his eyes. "We just left the kitchens." He raised his eyebrows in his customarily grim expression of mirth. "If you eat much more, there will be no steed strong enough to carry you." Volstagg finished off another hunk of bread and jam. Smiling he replied, "Then I will have no need of armor. My girth would be so great that no blade would harm me. The malice of the enemy would merely rebound."

Loki could hear Volstagg's deep laughter rumble down the hallway. He was glad, for once, of Volstagg's talkative nature. He had used the opportunity to finally arrive at the library. Now that he was safe within the stacks of yellowed tomes, he let his mask relax for the time being.

**Thank you for taking the time to read this new installment. I apologize for its short stature and long wait. I would like to thank those that commented. It truly does push me on. Until next time, stay limitless.**


	22. I Hate You

**Again I must apologize for taking so very long to post. This story fell a bit lower on my priority list as time dragged on. I will try to keep up better but comments are always a welcome motivation. Please enjoy.**

When Frigga and I reached the sitting room of her chambers, I was confused to see neither Thor nor Loki waiting for us. Frigga had already set herself down in a chair by the time I started my question. "I thought you said we would be finishing our conversation from last night." She nodded as she picked up her embroidery. "Thor and Loki will be along shortly." She held out the blue fabric I had begun to decorate last night. I accepted it and sat down in the chair next to her. "Thor left this morning to retrieve his Midgardian friends, the Avengers. Odin has requested their presence at Loki's trial tomorrow." She paused in her stitching to smile at me. "There will be a feast tonight to honor them as our guests."

/

Loki had fallen asleep amid the warm bookcases. The nightmares of last night had kept proper sleep at bay. Even now, in the warm light of the library, his thoughts plagued his slumber.

Loki found himself walking through a great forest. He wandered aimlessly for a while, finding no distinguishing landmarks whatsoever. After an indefinite time spent wandering, he heard a soft rustling just ahead. As he approached, he saw the little fawn from his earlier dream. It lay unmoving in the fallen leaves. For a moment he thought it dead. Then it lifted its head suddenly to look at him. Loki held the fawn's gaze until it flopped it's head back down onto the foliage.

Loki stepped closer to see what was so clearly wrong with the animal. Upon reaching the delicate thing, he knelt next to it. The fawn's eyes were wide and it breathed in sharp, labored gasps. Loki recognized it to be suffocating. Then he noticed the thin gold thread wrapped around the creature's neck.

Loki quickly began to unwind the thread. He worked as fast as he could but it didn't seem to help. No matter how hard he worked to release the fawn, the loops around its neck never seemed to diminish. The fawn's eye rolled forward to watch as Loki tried desperately to free it. Soon, Loki found that his hands were becoming increasingly tangled. The more he unwound, the more trapped he became while the fawn was none the better for his efforts. Still he tried. Even when he felt the fawn's heart beat faster and it's breaths grow more ragged.

After what felt like hours of frantic effort, the fawn took one last labored breath and its eyes rolled back into its head. Loki felt on the verge of panic. For no reason he could discern, the death of the fawn drew forth a feeling of emptiness and loneliness within him. He looked down at his hands. Beside being thoroughly entangled to the elbow in thread, he saw that his fingers were stained with quickly congealing blood.

Loki stood, trying to rid himself of the animal's corpse and thread. Instead, his movement seemed to only increase the volume of thread wrapped around his person. In a panic, he tried to pull the tangles off more violently. Each movement only served to engulf him further and further until he was completely swallowed up in gold thread. He struggled until he could no longer move or see through the coils of gold.

In a cold sweat, Loki woke suddenly. He bolted upright in his chair. Seeing that he was in the library and not cocooned in string, he relaxed. His mind having caught up to his body, he saw that it was midday and decided to retire back to the chambers where he had left Elizabeth.

/

I had almost finished my embroidered motif before Thor burst through the doors wearing the biggest grin I had ever seen. He reminded me of a large puppy bouncing around with excitement. Following him into the room were the welcome faces of Stark, Banner, Rogers, and Natasha. They were accompanied by the slightly less welcome sight of Barton and Fury.

I just barely kept myself from rushing to them like a moth toward a flame. Smiling brightly, Frigga bade them welcome and sat them down to wait for Loki. She engaged in light conversation regarding their stay and other mundane matters. While the cheery conversation hummed on, I inspected each of their faces to gauge their reactions to Asgard.

Stark, dressed in a slick and probably expensive suit, seemed the most relaxed. He sat with legs crossed next to a slightly overwhelmed looking Banner. Rodgers was rigidly planted next to a completely stoic Natasha. Barton fidgeted slightly on the edge of a chair and Fury looked completely underwhelmed by the company. Each of them was dressed in luxurious evening wear with varying degrees of comfort.

The conversation was still murmuring happily when Loki finally strode through the doors. Everyone turned to face him and the conversation flicked out like a candle flame. He glanced around the room, his face a perfect mask. After a moment, Frigga broke the tense silence with a cordial smile. "Loki, we were waiting for you. Please, come sit with us."

Loki stood for a beat longer before replying. "Thank you, but no. I have not been feeling well and would like to retire to my chamber." He turned stiffly and made his way toward the bedroom. Just before disappearing from view, he turned again and looked at me. "Elizabeth, won't you accompany me?"

I opened my mouth to deny him but the prickle of magic traced a cold finger down my spine. I sighed, "I guess that counts." I rose to follow the disappearing footsteps of my captor. I clutched awkwardly at my embroidery as I hurried past the collection of visitors. When I had almost reached the door, a worried voice stopped me. "Do you want someone to go with you?"

I turned to Steve. He was half standing already. I forced a dismissive smile. "Why? I think it is better to leave you alone to discuss things. Besides," I said with a shrug. "I am beginning to enjoy his company." Steve furrowed his brow, but sat back down.

I turned and left the room before he could say anything else.

/

I pushed through the carved door and almost ran into Loki. I muttered a vague apology and tried to push past him. At the last moment, he reached out and wrapped a hand around my wrist.

/

Loki pulled the girl around to face him. He felt an intense need to see the fear in her expression, to feel a sliver of control over something. He held her gaze for a few heartbeats.

/

Loki held my wrist tightly. I couldn't help but watch his face flit through his thoughts. First a desire for something, then, a rush too quick for me to follow. He finally settled in a stony anger. He gripped my wrist tighter, threatening to snap bones.

/

Loki was confused to find no real fear in her eyes. He looked harder, but what he searched for still evaded him. Loki felt his lack of control over her rub harshly against his tired thoughts. She yelped and he realized he had strengthened his grip. He watched with a mix of guilty sadness and hollow glee as a tinge of fear bled into her face. Clinging to a shred of childish satisfaction, he refused to release his grip. He watched as the girl twisted and clawed at his fingers in pain.

The girl was pleading now, her eyes damp and shining. He followed the movement of her lips but heard no sound.

/

I tried to pry his fingers from my arm but found my efforts increasingly futile. As my hand began to go numb and my fingers stopped moving, my mind forced me to focus on something else. The sparkle of a gem was the perfect place for my watering eyes. His outstretched arm had revealed the magic inhibiting bracelet.

My arm groaned in pain and a stream of foul words slipped between my lips. My eyes fogged over with tears and I turned my blurred vision back to his face. "Please," I begged him, "please let go. You're hurting me. Please!"

The tears finally dripped down my face and I could see his features clearly. The sadistic smile clashed with the apparent sorrow in his blue green eyes.

/

The last 'please' broke through Loki's thoughts and he released his fingers. Brought back to the present, he watched as she snatched her arm close and nursed it for a moment. He saw the thin finger marks on her delicate skin and knew that there would be bruises there soon.

Then she turned her tear streaked face up to his with a glare of intense anger and pain. She locked eyes with him and he felt a sting of guilt. Still holding her injured arm close, she planted her good arm, palm out, on his chest and gave a hard shove. He was unaffected by the force and she only managed to make herself stumble back a pace. With her bottom lip pushed out, smacking his chest again only served to make her look like a moody child.

Thwarted in her attempts to physically affect him, she stomped to her bed and plopped loudly down on the golden covers. After a moment, Loki followed suit.

/

After I had choked back the tears of pain in my throat, I forced out the only words on my tongue. In an embarrassingly weak and scratchy voice, I managed to croak, "I hate you."


	23. Party Crasher

**Again I will apologize for the long wait. I am sorely lacking in motivation as of late. There would be another update soon. Please enjoy.**

Loki scoffed lightly at Elizabeth's declaration of contempt for him. Her soft voice had choked out the syllables quickly and deliberately. "You are not alone in that sentiment." he replied. For some unknown reason, her words had cut him. A pang of sadness and loneliness gripped his chest.

/

Sif sat comfortably with three of her closest friends. Volstagg was happily gnawing on a chicken leg while Hogun and Fandral were playing a game of strategy. Hogun captured the last of Fandral's pieces, much to Fandral's displeasure. "I am tired of this game." He announced loudly. Volstagg grinned at Fandral over his mug. "Just moments ago, you were assured of your victory. What happened to the great and cunning warrior Fandral?"

Poking out his chin Fandral straightened himself up. "I could never be so 'great' a warrior as you Volstagg. I doubt anyone in the nine realms could rival your skill at combatting hunger." Sif found herself laughing along with Volstagg's hearty mirth. Hogun even chuckled a bit as he stowed the game and its pieces.

As soon as the laughter had calmed, Volstagg took up his plate again and turned to Sif. Between mouthfuls of food, he asked "Will you be in attendance tonight? I hear that the warriors from Midgard will be there and I am anxious to meet them." Sif nodded. "I would never miss such a special occasion. Besides, queen Frigga spoke to me earlier and told me that the lady Elizabeth will be there."

Hogun nodded solemnly. "I hear she is quite lovely for a Midgardian. I am curious to see if that is why Loki has refused to release her." Fandral shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "I saw him this morning. No man could be in such a foul temper with a lady as lovely as she is rumored to be on his arm."

Volstagg let out a small belch and wiped his mouth. "I care not if she is beautiful as the moon or ugly as Fandral's backside. I prefer to take part in the revelry and joy of a celebration such as this." Hogun raised his eyebrows at his friend. "That is not what you partake the most of." he remarked playfully as Volstagg bit into a small loaf of bread, "I have never known anyone that eats before a feast."

/

Looking at myself in the small mirror I held, I saw only a glimmer of myself in the beautiful face that looked back. Unblemished and lightly powdered, my face looked basically the same as I remembered but something felt different. I had been noticing the difference for a while now. A feeling in my gut that something deeper than the obvious events had affected me. I was beginning to fear that I felt something more than pity for Loki.

It had happened last night, when I heard him having a nightmare. My heart had ached to calm his terror. I saw my little brother in his face despite all he had done to me. Now that I thought about it, the ache in my heart felt an awful lot like love. I scoffed inwardly. Don't be stupid. You are not interested in him like that. No, I wasn't. But it was a pang of love none the less. It was the sort of love you have for a sibling or a dear friend.

My thoughts were interrupted by Sif. "My queen, she looks beautiful!" I looked up into the large mirror I was seated in front of. Frigga's gentle smile hovered behind me. Looking at my hair, I felt my heart beat faster. Frigga had wrapped my brown hair into an intricate hairstyle. She was placing a few gems throughout my hair. The front was braided loosely to show my face and the braid wrapped around to the back where it pooled gently at the base of my neck. I wasn't sure how she had managed my thick mess of hair into such perfect behavior.

She finished placing the gems and stepped back. "I have always wondered how spoiling a daughter felt." She smiled at me and patted my arm. "I have a dress for tonight just for you." With an excited smile, I rose and followed her behind a partition screen.

In her hands was the most beautiful gown I could have imagined. It was a silvery white fabric that rustled softly when moved. Frigga quickly helped me to undress and pull the new gown over my head. When it was fastened, she propelled me out into the room and in front of a full length mirror.

Butterflies flitted about in my stomach as I looked myself over excitedly. The gown sported a deep boat neck, three quarter length sleeves, and slim bodice the queen favored. The fabric itself, stunning as it was, paled in comparison to the numerous pastel jewels that adorned the neckline and the hems of the sleeves and skirt.

As I gazed in awe at the beauty of the dress, Sif appeared at my side in her own party gown. Hers was much less decorative but ornate all the same. She wore a grey silver bodice and skirt. Her neckline was higher and her sleeves short. She also wore a thick silver belt just above her hips. Other than subtle embroidery, her dress was plain by Asgardian standards. She looked me over approvingly. "It suits you well."

She touched the metal collar gently. "It's a shame that his is not another color."

I looked in the mirror again and my face fell. The gold of the infernal thing clashed painfully with the starlight colored dress. I touched it lightly and remembered what that cold bit of gold meant. It embodied all the evil that Loki had inflicted upon me.

He controlled me. Even without his magic, he still held me in his palm. When Frigga had come to collect me, he had to give me permission to go. He had almost denied me. I had seen it in his eyes. But at the request of his mother, he had dismissed me with a nod. How ever happy I was to get away from him, I wasn't sure yet if I really wanted to attend a party.

Frigga interrupted my thoughts once more. "With a dress as lovely as that, no one will notice such a small thing." Sif cleared her throat skeptically and forced a smile. "No, they will likely not notice."

Frigga smiled again and ushered Sif and I out of her quarters and down several winding halls. As we walked, I noticed a growing rumble of voices. When the voices reached a final crescendo, she turned Sif and I through a door. A tidal wave of light and sound crashed out of the room and hit me with enough force to make my knees weak. Sif took my shoulder and guided me to the great table in the center of the hall. Around this table was seated the most extravagant party I had ever seen. All of the women wore glimmering outfits and the men wore sparkling suits of decorative armor.

Sif guided me toward an open chair. To my relief, the Avengers were already seated there. Tony was engaged in a conversation with a proud looking Asgardian but the others were uncomfortably silent.

When Steve saw me approaching, he rushed to pull out the empty seat for me. I found myself blushing despite myself.

I felt childish in the presence of so many beautiful people. I looked around for a familiar face other than the Avengers. I found Sif, but I could not find the reassuring face of Frigga.

I chatted with the Avengers briefly but it seemed that there were few subjects that weren't painfully uncomfortable to discuss. When the conversation ran dry, I devoted my attention to the drink setting in front of me. It was a sweet blend of vague fruity flavor and dark, nutty undertones. After a few sips I recognized it as a mead.

Thankfully, the king and queen appeared shortly and the feast began. Great platters of food were served. Whole boars, giant birds, and other unnamable delicacies disappeared as quickly as they were placed on the table. Conversation lulled for a time and each person in the hall ate their fill.

/

Loki sulked around the bedroom for a time. Alone now that he had given consent for Elizabeth to leave, he found himself utterly bored. Without his magic, he felt useless. His usual entertainment was stripped from him and a strange sadness gnawed at his innards. He was without a plan or purpose and that made him feel lost.

Pacing across the room again, he noticed the small bit of blue fabric that was Elizabeth's embroidery. Grateful for a distraction, he sat down on the covers and picked up the stitching. He saw that it was finished now, the threads neatly clipped and the enchanted needle and thread stuck through the corner for safekeeping.

The motif was simple and plain. Loki admired the precise stitches aligned perfectly in the design. Frigga had told him once that stitchery reflected a person's emotions and desires. He ran his fingers over Elizabeth's motif, a twisting green vine twined around a small white bird. Unbidden, the dream in the library rose to to front of his mind.

With a sigh, he placed the fabric back on the bed. He rose and headed toward the washroom.

/

When the feast was all but devoured, a small group of musicians began to play. It was an interesting mixture of eerie melodies and Celtic sounding rhythms. Some guests found partners and began to dance. Before long, nearly the whole hall was filled with dancers. The great table was pushed against a wall and filled with sweets for when the dancers tired.

Before I knew it, Steve whisked me up into the swirling couples. He started a simple waltz and I thanked my elementary school self for learning to ballroom dance. Steve smiled widely, genuinely caught up in the festivity. Before long, a lively tune prompted a dance with a change of partners. As I was whisked away into the much larger arms of an Asgardian, I began to enjoy myself fully. At one point I danced with Tony and another pairing found me with a smiling Bruce. I don't know how long I danced or with how many partners before a dance with a young Asgardian boy was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder.

The boy ducked out without so much as a bow and I looked up to see the pointed face of Loki. He wore a much more decorative version of his usual armor but it was much plainer than many of the other guests'. Unsure of how to react, I decided upon diplomacy and accepted his outstretched fingers.

He took my waist in his hand just as a new dance began. I noticed that he was smaller than all of the Asgardians I had danced with previously. I could almost reach his shoulder when I had only been capable of reaching the upper arm of the other men. It was a slow and careful march. Again, I was thankful for teaching myself to dance. So far, each of the dances were only slight variations of ballroom dances I knew.

We stepped silently around the room for a time before he spoke. "It seems you have a guard." He looked pointedly to the left. Following his gaze, I saw a flash of Natasha's bright red hair disappear behind a pair of Asgardians. I looked back at Loki, "So it seems."

The march was reaching a crescendo now. Breaking the steps of the dance, Loki pulled me inward and wrapped an arm strongly around my waist. I pushed on his chest in an attempt to extricate myself but he kept his hold. He held my other wrist firmly in his hand and I noticed that there was no sign of the gold bracelet on it. My breathing hitched. Did he intend to poof away again with me in tow? I leaned back and looked at his angular face. I saw no sign of malice, but I supposed that never really meant much.

He let go of my wrist and waist to grasp my throat instead. As his hands touched the metal, a soft golden glow formed around my body. With one smooth motion, he pulled his hands back from my neck. All at once, the weight of the collar was gone and a different glow emanated from my the dress. My mind seemed to slow in shock.

The music came to an end and I watched dazedly as the gold collar in his hand fell to the floor with a clatter. It hit the floor and shattered in a brilliant shower of shards that dissipated into fading gold light. I suddenly felt very light.

Then I realized that everyone in the hall was turned to gawk at Loki and I. Natasha and Clint were frozen halfway to my rescue and Steve stood looking shocked and slightly embarrassed next to a young Asgardian lady.

Looking down at myself for the source of the faint glow, I understood why all eyes were on me. The silvery dress now shone in a rainbow of iridescent colors. Each movement created an undulation of light. The fabric now reminded me of the 'rainbow bridge' I had crossed when Thor brought me here. I looked back up at Loki and a smug grin was spreading across his face.

A small sparkle of gold caught my eye. Just behind Loki stood Frigga in a radiant blue gown. In her hand was the bracelet. She stepped forward and placed her hand on Loki's shoulder. The smug grin on his face fell slightly but he held out his arm for the gold circle without hesitation.


	24. Sleepless in Asgard

**I know it has been a while since the last chapter. I rewrote this at least twice. Thank you to everyone that commented and kept me going. Please enjoy.**

The rest of the night swam by quickly. Loki had disappeared as suddenly as he appeared and all of the guests departed soon after. Sif escorted me back to the chambers Loki and I shared.

When I got there, I found the room containing only one gold swathed bed and no sign of Loki anywhere. I carefully undressed and folded the gown neatly on the dresser top. The glow that Loki had given it faded when I took it off and it was now settled back to its original hue.

I pulled on the nightgown at the foot of the bed and nestled comfortably beneath the covers. I was exhausted and my feet were sore from dancing, but sleep evaded my eager grasp. After a seemingly infinite time waiting to drift off, I gave up and swung out of bed.

I padded softly through the short hall to the sitting room. Moonlight streamed through two high windows on the far wall. The pure white light cast deep shadows on the furniture. It was too dark to see color and the black and white room was still and calming.

Afraid of waking anyone, I tiptoed to the window and looked out over the city. Few lights burned but the city still glistened in the night. Looking further, I could see the rainbow bridge. It's iridescent colors swirled brightly enough to see from here.

There was something so picturesque about the whole scene that I almost convinced myself I was dreaming. I felt that I would wake up and be safe at home. I would roll over and rub my face in the pillow. I would drag myself up the stairs to find my brother and sister watching cartoons. I would pour myself a bowl of cereal and forget all about the fantastic things I had seen in my sleep.

I rolled this idea around for a bit. The more I considered it, the less I wanted it to be true. I realized that if it was a dream, and if I did wake up, I would be sad to lose it. There was so much that I had seen and felt that if I were to lose it all, I would lose a part of myself.

/

Loki heard her first. The soft click of the door and quiet slap of bare feet on stone floor. When she stepped into the moonlight, she looked almost ethereal. The moonlight bleached out her skin so that it matched the pure white of her nightgown. He watched her pad across the room from his position on a couch.

She didn't notice him and Loki felt a light blush warm his cheeks. He was aware of the indecency of not making himself known. He knew he should say something, but he found himself absorbed in watching her.

Her slightly mussed hair lay dark against the white of her skin and gown. She settled her elbows on the window sill and let out a long breath. Loki watched as she took in the view and her posture went from one of contentment to sadness. She let out another soft sigh and Loki heard his own thoughts echoed in the breath. She was sad because the beauty would all be gone soon. She would have to leave, just as Loki had to.

Letting the feeling fade, Loki rose from his spot and silently moved to join her at the window.

/

The view from the window was breathtaking. I had been looking at it long enough that my already sore feet began to protest again. With a yawn, I took one last look across the city and decided it was time to try for sleep again.

I turned slowly and was startled to find Loki standing just behind me. He smirked slightly at my upturned face. I felt suddenly guilty at being caught wandering about. "What do you want?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow lazily at me. "I was here first. I think it would be more appropriate if you told me why you're here." Forcing back a yawn I said, "I couldn't sleep. Besides, it was you that snuck up on me." A vague smile crept across his face. "I am sorry that you cannot pay adequate attention to your surroundings. You really are very naive."

I poked my lip out at him in an expression of minor insult. "And you're mean." He raised his eyebrows at me. "As I recall, I was the one that kept Mr. Barton from decapitating you. I also did not lodge any projectiles beneath your ribs."

It took me a moment for my sleepy brain to understand what he meant. When I finally worked through his statement, my stomach turned with guilt. "I really am sorry about that." Loki reached out and ran his fingers over the now bare skin on my neck. "Frigga is an accomplished healer. Just as she erased your scars, she repaired my organs." He stood for a moment longer, his touch sending nervous chills down my spine.

Then he withdrew and his face changed from sad contemplation to a mask of formality. "It is late." he announced calmly. "We should both retire." He nodded at me and turned away into the dark halls. With a shudder from the sudden aloneness, I padded back to my room to resume my chase with sleep.


	25. Back Over the Rainbow

**Thank you for your patience. This is a rather long chapter to try and make up for the previous quick one. Thank you to those that commented for their wonderful motivation. Please enjoy.**

I was wearing another gown of Frigga's design. It was a soft felted fabric in a light blue. The scoop neckline and long sleeves were trimmed in a white fur much softer than any that I had felt on earth. She had also presented me with a long cape of the same color lined with the same fur. The front of the cape fastened under wide fur lined strips. On the top of the fastening, she had affixed my simple bit of embroidery.

When I asked her why she was sending me home in an outfit only fit for the beauty of Asgard, she replied with a cryptic smile. "It is a bit chill today. In both Asgard and Midgard." I decided it was better to thank her and not question the gift further.

...

Breakfast was pleasantly shared with all of the visiting Avengers and the tone of conversation was carefully centered on the wonderful sights and experiences in Asgard. It seemed that no one wanted to acknowledge that, in a few hours, we would all be sitting at Loki's trial, watching his fate be decided.

/

Loki sat on his bed and stared at his reflection in the mirror. Looking at himself, he saw his health was slowly returning after his time serving Thanos. His cheeks were still gaunt but a warmer tinge had taken root. His eyes were the most changed feature. When handling the tesseract, they had taken on a much bluer hue. Now, they were returned to the green color of an angry sea.

He rubbed the almost disappeared bullet scar on his side absently. It was still a vague red mark on his otherwise unmarred skin. Frigga's healing magic had helped his body to repair torn organs and flesh, but magic was incapable of healing all of the damage. His body was efficiently fixing itself more each day. All that was left now was a mild itch and ache beneath his ribs.

Standing, he pulled his tunic over his head and endeavored to find something to eat before the trial.

/

The trial was being held in the great court. I was thankful of Frigga's gift as it was rather chill in the giant room. A collection of Asgardians stood in the far corner to watch the proceedings. I stood with the Avengers.

Thor had opted to keep the armored company of Sif and the warriors three. I recognized both the blonde and the vaguely Asian members as men I had danced with last night. I also recognized some of the other Asgardians gathered but it was hard to tell because the glamorous armor had been shed in favor of more somber attire.

Frigga had taken a position just to the right of the grand golden throne. On the throne itself sat Odin. I recalled that he was a respectable figure from the feast last night, but now he was downright terrifying. He wore a gold eyepatch that was affixed there by no visible means. His helmet rested on the arm of the chair and a large spear-like weapon was clutched in his fingers.

When Loki was finally escorted into the great room, Odin stood and silence fell over all those in attendance. Loki looked small stranded in the center of the gathering. I was nervous and uncomfortable but he stood straight and proud.

Odin stood silent for a few nerve wracking moments then his voice boomed out, almost making me jump. "Loki Odinson, you are brought before us to determine what consequences you must face. They will be fair and justly executed as in accordance with our laws." He looked around the room. "The crimes you are held responsible for are thus: attempting to destroy a realm, attempting to subjugate a realm, and attempting to harm a race under the protection of Asgard. What do you have to say for your actions?" Odin's voice lingered in the room as he set his hard gaze on Loki.

Loki straightened his back. "All I have done, I have done with just cause." Odin and Loki held each other's gaze. "What cause was so great to readily harm so many?" Odin looked genuinely confused now. Loki's reply hung in the air, "peace".

A few murmurs were audible but cut out when Odin banged his spear on the floor. "There is no peace to be achieved through these means." Loki wrinkled his brow and began a protest. "Silence!" Odin cut him off with a bark. "I have deliberated at great length as to the consequences you have incurred." With a look at Fury, he continued. "As it was Midgard you tried to subjugate, it will be Midgard that will decide your fate. You will be sent with these warriors to face the justice system there." Loki looked somewhat relieved and worried at the same time. Odin continued, "your magic will remain suppressed." Loki looked physically pained at this. "This has been agreed upon by all parties that you have wronged." With a final pound of his staff, Odin solidified Loki's punishment and Loki was escorted from the room.

As all of the onlookers trickled out the doors, Odin sat back in the throne and took Frigga's hand. He still held himself strong but his eyes looked tired and sorrowful. Frigga stepped forward and stood in front of the collected Avengers. She too looked tired but maintained her polite manner. "Heimdal will send all of you, as well as Loki, back. I will escort you there now." She turned and strode from the room with everyone close at her heels.

...

Heimdal was waiting with Loki and his guards at the entrance to the rainbow bridge dome. Fury went to speak with Heimdal and the rest of the Avengers stood by uncomfortably. Frigga pulled me to the side. Leaning down and taking me by the shoulders, she looked pleadingly into my eyes. "Please take care of my son. I know he has done terrible things, to you and many others. But he is still my son, and I still love him." I nodded and she gripped my shoulder a bit tighter. "I have a feeling that you can protect him more than I." She smiled suddenly and reached into a pocket. She pulled out a small, folded piece of silvery fabric. Placing it in my hand, she said "I have enchanted it so that no matter how much you use, there will always be more. No matter how much it is cut, it will never be gone. It will change color as you wish it to. I did the same with the thread." "Thank you." I said incredulously.

Then Frigga turned to Loki. Placing her hand on the side of his face, she murmured something into his ear and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Loki's mask flickered for a moment. Then Frigga turned to Heimdal. With a nod she turned and hurried back across the colorful bridge followed by Thor.

The huge man then escorted us inside and turned the thing on. The guards stepped carefully away as the dome spun faster and faster and the light within grew to a blinding glare. The same 'pulled in every direction' feeling as when Loki teleported grew with the light until it became almost unbearable.

Then the Avengers, Loki, and I were left standing on the top of a very large machine. I recognized the deck markings that indicated an aircraft carrier but I couldn't see past the thick fog around us. I hugged the cape closer to me. Frigga was right. I thought to myself. It is cold here. We were standing there for only a few moments before a group of about seven men and women came running across the deck to meet us. When they reached us, they were hardly winded despite the thin air.

Four of the agents surrounded Loki and trained their guns on him. The other two positioned themselves next to me and the woman that appeared to be in charge was already engaged in conversation with Fury.

...

Before long, I had learned that we were on a flying aircraft carrier. I felt like that seemed a little redundant but the views were really neat. I let myself be caught up in the human rush of activity and carried along in its current. Not long after arriving on the carrier, Fury, Loki, Banner, a whole squadron of agents, and I were boarding a much smaller aircraft returning to the ground station. We must not have been too far away because it took only about ten minutes before we landed on solid earth.

Inside the station, Banner bid me goodbye and hurried off. Fury led Loki and I outside to an armored van. He opened the door for us and our entourage of two remaining agents. Two more took the front seat of the van. Fury set Loki and I on the same bench while he took the opposite with the two agents. As soon as the doors were closed, the two agents slapped a pair of handcuffs on both Loki's and my wrists.

Confused, I turned to look at Fury for an answer. "I can understand him," I said with a gesture at Loki. "but what have I done?" He leaned back on the wall and gestured with a finger. "I don't trust him. And because I don't trust him, I don't trust you. I don't know what sort of voodoo crap he's done to you." He glared at Loki.

Looking taken aback, Loki squared his shoulders. "I have done nothing at all to her." Fury's face twisted in disgust. "I don't want to hear any of your shit."  
Loki opened his mouth to protest again. One of the agents quickly slapped something over his mouth. Loki made a stifled noise and the man removed his hand. Covering Loki's chin and mouth was a metal contraption whose purpose was obvious. An unhappy noise emanated from behind it but Loki fell silent after that. He dipped his head and inspected the chain on the cuffs intensely.

Momentarily shocked at the inhumanity of gagging Loki, I recovered my wits and looked up at Fury. "What the hell?! He wasn't hurting you!" Fury raised an eyebrow at me. "Unless you would like to join him, I would shut up." I quickly thought better of my next comment and closed my mouth.

I spent the rest of the very long trip alternately inspecting the cuffs and eyeing the gun barrel pointed at my knee. The trip seemed to take forever and the seating was less than comfortable. Loki was very tense and each little bump jostled me into his sharp angles. When we finally came to a stop, one of the agents had to help me stumble stiffly down from the vehicle.

Loki was trundled rather harshly out behind me and the agents escorted us down several winding halls. We passed a few other agents along the way. Most spared no more than a passing glance. Eventually, a pair of agents split away and directed me off down another hall. I managed a look back at Loki but he stolidly ignored me.

The agents seemed to relax now that they were away from Loki and Fury. They slowed their pace and even holstered their guns. I felt a bit of my own nervousness fade and I ventured a question. "So," I began timidly, "where are we going?" The first agent, a woman, shot a look a her male counterpart. "I don't see the harm in telling you." The man shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "You have to go to the medical bay for some tests." He said matter-of-factly. "It won't take long. Then we have to ask you some questions."

I looked down and fingered the furred sleeve. "Oh." I wasn't sure what else to say. The woman laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry." She smiled down at me. "It's not like an interrogation, we just want to know what happened and that you are okay." I managed a weak smile. "I'm not worried about that, I just really don't like medical needles or tests." It was only a half-truth, I was worried about both. She smiled back at me. "It will be fine." She gestured at the man, "James and I will be right there with you. You can bury your head in me if you like, that used to help me when I was little."

I nodded an acceptance to her offer and a little bit of the worry bled away. These were very kind people. I hoped that they would be the ones to 'ask questions'. I didn't think I could handle an actual interrogation like I had seen on TV.

/

Loki sat with his back against the white concrete wall. Fury had shut him in the plain cell without a word. Loki had paced till he was tired then slumped against the far wall. The handcuffs were still firmly clamped on his wrists and his jaw was becoming sore. The harsh fluorescent lights hummed as they glared unnatural light down at the god.

He understood. They intended to punish him first by giving him no liberties. Then, eventually, he would be given partial freedom and expected to cooperate under the threat of reinstating previous restraints.

Loki sat and contemplated this drawn out form of punishment. Slowly his thoughts turned to Elizabeth. Fury was convinced that she was currently a threat. S.H.I.E.L.D. would not let her go until they were completely assured that she was harmless. Maybe not even then. Loki sat and thought about this for a long time before realizing that he felt guilty about what might happen to her.

/

I really hate needles. I thought to myself over and over. Angela, the female agent, had decided to remove the cuffs and was working to distract me while vial after vial of blood was being drawn from my arm. "It can't help to stress you out more with these." She had told me when she took the shiny metal from around my wrists. She wrapped me in a firm hug when I had tried to stand up and move to a corner of the room.

She was asking me questions about my family and home and I was trying to answer her through the rising panic. So far, I had told her about my brother and sister, my cat, and what flavor of ice cream was my favorite. She responded to each of my choked and jumbled sentences with calm nods and smiles. She told me that she had three older brothers and they were all raised on a small ranch in Nebraska. James was holding my arm still for the doctor and he chimed into the conversation whenever I couldn't manage a coherent answer. I learned that he was raised in Chicago as the middle child with two sisters. He was about to go to an Ivy League school but when he was offered a job at S.H.I.E.L.D., he took it without hesitation.

Not long after I became completely unable to answer any questions, the doctor announced that he was done and James let go of my arm. A cotton ball was taped to my arm and I began to breathe again. I caught a glimpse of the tray of red filled vials and almost fainted right into James's arms.

A few minutes later, I was recovered enough to walk on my own. Angela kept her hand on my back, just in case, as we slowly made our way to another part of the facility. The room we finally stopped in held a table and three chairs. James sat me down in one and claimed another seat on the other side for his own. Angela had not seated herself yet. Instead, she smiled at me pleasantly and asked if I wanted anything to eat or drink. "You look really pale still." I shook my head weakly no but she hurried off anyway.

Left with James, I took a deep breath and tried to stop my nervous shaking. He reached across the table and patted my hand. "It's okay. It is only a few questions." I managed to smile at him. "No, it's not that, I just think they took about half of my blood." He chuckled. "Your heart was beating pretty fast there." My stomach churned and I nodded in what I hoped looked like a gesture of entertained agreement.

Angela saved me from any more forced conversation by pushing through the door with a plate laden with food. In her other hand, she carried three cups. She set the plate down in the middle of the table and distributed the cups before sitting down. She reached out and took a piece of apple from the plate and looked at me expectantly. "You should eat something sugary." I nodded and reached for a cookie with shaky hands. James took a brownie and sat back in the chair.

After I had munched through the cookie and half my cup of water, James asked if we could start with the questions. I nodded my assent and he left the room to go get supplies from another room. I brushed a few crumbs off of my lap. "I'm sorry." I said looking at Angela. "Im sorry I've been so much trouble." She laughed and gestured dismissively. "Please, you haven't been any trouble. This is probably the most pleasant day at work I have had in a long time."

James interrupted the story Angela seemed about to tell by opening the door and locking it behind him. "Procedure" he said as he slipped the key into his pocket. He tossed the pad of yellow paper down on the table. He pulled his chair in close to the table and pulled a pen from his jacket. "Please," he said with a businesslike tone, "can you tell us all that has happened since Loki escaped with you eleven days ago?"

I sat back in the chair. Had it really only been eleven days since Loki and I had been attached at the wrist? Only eleven days had changed me so much? In eleven days I had begun to feel emotions other than loathing for a man that had ruined my life. I tried to count backward. I had lost track of time in Loki's underground hideaway but I supposed that, in all, it really had been just over a week. "Elizabeth." Angela gently pulled me back to the present. "Elizabeth, we need to know what happened."


	26. Deciding a Fate

**As always, I apologize for the delay in updating. Life was not very amiable for a long while. I'm glad to finally get another chapter up for you. I really appreciate any feedback you provide. I will try to get another chapter uploaded in the next couple of days, but I still need motivation from any readers at all. Please enjoy.**

**As a side note, I realize that the timeline mentioned in the last chapter may not have been terribly clear. During the interrogation, the eleven days James is referring to is the time between Loki's escape to the stone palace with Elizabeth (while still cuffed together ) to the time that Elizabeth returned to earth. **

Loki sat with his back to the cold wall, forcing his mind blank. He reached for the wispy edges of his magic. He could feel it there, just beyond his grasp. He pushed harder against Frigga's bonds. He felt her familiar magic but could do nothing with it. It was already formed, hardened into the spell she had cast. Taking a deep breath, he drew back from his own magic and let Frigga's warm his thoughts. Her magic always had a warm, cheerful feeling to it. He recalled when he was young and she would conjure little illusions of prancing animals and flowers to amuse Thor and himself. Thor would quickly lose interest but Loki would watch the glowing figures for hours.

A long ago night sprung into his thoughts. Loki was just beginning to learn to use magic and Frigga was instructing him that evening in the sitting room. A fire crackled gently and Frigga sat near it with her stitching. Loki was busy changing the color of the pillow he was sitting on. "Mother," Loki's soft voice was filled with childish curiosity. "why is my magic different than yours?"

Frigga looked up from her needle, "What do you mean different than mine?" Looking sheepish for asking such an unusual question, Loki shrugged. "I mean, it feels different. Your magic is warmer than mine." He looked up into his mother's eyes and he furrowed his brow. "Am I doing it wrong?"

Frigga set down her needlework and gathered her son in her lap. "No, you are very good at magic. It feels different because it is your own special magic." Loki yawned and rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Thor says that there is nothing special about magic and that I should learn to fight instead." Frigga ran her hand through Loki's dark hair. "My dear heart," she murmured, "magic is special because no two people have the same kind. It is like painting a picture. You and I may both paint a flower but it will not look the same way. You may paint one flower and I may paint another."

Loki sighed. "But painting flowers is not the same as fighting. I want to use magic to help Thor fight but he says that using it in combat is cowardly." Loki tilted his face up to Frigga's. "My darling son," she said, pulling him into a close embrace, "magic can be used for anything and it will not be wrong to do so unless it is being used for evil. Besides," she smiled and kissed his forehead, "what has Thor ever known about magic." Loki grinned and buried himself in Frigga's neck, letting her aura envelope him like a blanket.

/

I leaned back in my chair, mentally exhausted from relating my story. My mind reeled from having to recall all that had happened and knowing how short a time it had all happened within. James finished scribbling something on the paper with a small flourish. "Are you sure that that is all?" he said glancing up at me. I nodded but my stomach made a tiny, guilty backflip. _It's not a lie, _I told myself.

I had left out the part where Loki had a nightmare and I went to comfort him. I also left out that he had changed into a scary blue guy once. I did not think Loki would want me to tell them those things. I had also deemed it unnecessary to reveal that Frigga had asked me to look after her son. I didn't want any more suspicion directed at me. I had told them everything else. Including that I thought he was not a bad person and that I felt sorry for him.

"So,"Angela grabbed the last cookie from the plate. "Now we need to get you a room and some clothes then we will have the tests back and you can talk to your parents." She smiled at me and, for a moment, I felt like I might have a chance at going back to a normal life.

/

Loki had retreated back to his corner. After being trundled through a painfully hot shower and into a hideously bright orange shirt with standard issue S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform pants. He expected several more hours of solitude but was not very surprised when he was proven wrong.

/

Barton stood outside the cell door for longer than necessary. Fury had ordered him not to go near Loki until Fury had interrogated the monster. Clint had agreed outwardly but knew it would be all too easy to disobey the director. With his current position in both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, the most punishment he would receive would be a slap on the hand.

Now that he stood only a few paces from his revenge, Clint practically vibrated with anticipation. He would enjoy exacting a small part of his vengeance. He would enjoy it very much. Grinning, he punched in the code to the door.

/

Refusing to look at the intruder, Loki tried to look calm and collected behind the muzzle. When Loki finally turned to glare at the man, he felt his heart flutter briefly. Barton stood menacingly over the god, twirling a set of brass knuckles on a finger.

Barton settled the metal over his fingers and wrenched Loki up by his arm. With his wrists cuffed behind his back, Loki knew he was much too vulnerable to this mortal. Despite Loki's considerable stature, Clint forced Loki against the wall and leaned his face inches from Loki's.

Clint kept Loki there for a few moments before stepping back suddenly and aiming his fist at the god's belly. Loki was able to brace himself for the impact but the brass knuckles hit the soft of his gut with a sickening thud. A heartbeat later, Barton's other fist collided with Loki's face. Without his magic to shield him, Loki felt each hit connect painfully. He weathered the barrage of kicks and punches as best he could. Loki knew that if he let Barton wear himself out, Loki would be able to learn Barton's weaknesses and use them against him.

/

I liked the shower. I also liked the feel of being back in a t-shirt and pants. I especially enjoyed having proper undergarments on, but I was not so pleased with my current status with S.H.I.E.L.D. I was being treated as a prisoner. Angela and James were pleasant but they were still guards. According to 'procedure', they took everything that Frigga had given me. Angela told me that there was a chance I could get the outfit back, but the embroidery supplies were not likely to be returned. When I had asked why, James gave me a vague "because it needs to be analyzed".

Soon after that, the two agents and I were back in the medical bay. I was glad that I did not have to wear the handcuffs, but the looks that the doctors gave me indicated they would have preferred otherwise. I was settled down into a chair as one of the doctors ran through a list of results. "Neurological responses seem to be normal, blood pressure is fine, heart rate is fine," he drolled through the list monotonously. Finally he reached the end. "The only unusual thing we could find is a slightly above average radiation in her blood." He shrugged dismissively. "This could be caused by anything from prolonged exposure to radiation, like the kind from 'magic', to eating food grown near a power plant." He put the list on a nearby table and turned his attention to James. "I think she's fine. I have already sent a copy of the results to the director. She can go back to her room to wait for the director's decision." Finally, he turned to me. "I bet it's nice to know that that monster is safely put away." He smiled reassuringly at me. "Soon, this will all be a memory."

I nodded, but his comment struck something within me. _That monster. _The words echoed in my gut. _That monster. Was Loki truly so evil? _I knew that I should hate him. I did hate him. But I felt like he wasn't fully deserving of that hate. A part of him was so like a sheltered child. When that child had been shown the bad in life, it frightened him into thinking that the good parts of life were a lie and the bad was the only truth. I had seen this happen on a much smaller scale to others. I didn't know that this broken child could be repaired, but if it could, it would be by proving to them the world isn't all bad.

/

Fury looked from the medical evaluation to the girl. Her soft brown eyes looked up at him hopefully. "So, does this mean I can go home?" Elizabeth's voice echoed briefly around the small room. Fury took a slow, thoughtful breath. "Agent Cranston, will you please make arrangements for a permanent room for our new guest." Angela hesitated for a moment but moved to obey Fury's order anyway. The director turned to James. "Will you please escort her back to her temporary lodging." The younger man gave a curt nod and placed a hand on Elizabeth's arm.

/

My heart felt like a block of ice in my chest. James squeezed my arm gently but I couldn't tear my incredulous stare from the director's concentrated gaze. The ice lumped in my throat. With a furious shake, I loosed my arm from James' grip. Squaring my shoulders, I made the few steps across the room to stand toe to toe with the director. I leaned forward, noting that he was not very much taller than myself and certainly smaller than Loki. My cheeks felt flushed and my tongue was swollen with outrage. "I was right." I spat the words. "Loki is not the monster. You are."


	27. A New Friend

**I promised a new chapter and the wonderful comments on the last one certainly helped to spur me on. Thank you, your thoughts are always appreciated. Please enjoy.**

James patted me gently on the shoulder. "Darcy, this is Elizabeth. Elizabeth, Darcy Lewis." The girl reached out and shook my hand awkwardly. "Nice to meet you." I nodded "nice to meet you too."

"You will be helping Ms. Lewis in the archives." James paused and put a hand to his earpiece. "I will leave you two for bit. Ms. Lewis will show you what to do." He turned to the girl again. "Darcy, you know how to reach someone." She nodded at him dismissively.

Before James had even left the room, she had turned and gone through the archive door. I hurried after her. As soon as the door closed behind me, Darcy had strolled between a couple of rows of filing cabinets and disappeared. I followed her behind the stacks and found her rummaging through a drawer.

I was surprised when she pulled out a half empty bag of potato chips and a package of gummy worms. She tossed me the worms and turned to another bookshelf. From the back of the top shelf, she pulled a bean bag and a blanket. Dropping both to the floor, she finally turned to me.

"What?" She raised her eyebrows playfully. "It gets really boring in here." She flopped down on the bean bag and reached into the chips. Not sure how to react to this, I sat carefully against a filing cabinet and waited for the girl to finish her mouthful of chips. She sat looking me over for a while longer then tossed the bag at me. "You have got to eat something." She mumbled through another mouthful. "You're making me feel fat."

I felt a genuine smile stretch my face. Reaching into the bag, I took a handful of the greasy treats. Darcy waggled her hand at me as she swallowed. "Hand me the worms will ya." I tossed the bag at her open fingers.

/

Loki paced his new cell. This one had a cot and a toilet. They had also unshackled his wrists, but kept the muzzle firmly affixed. It was only three of his long paces to the door from his cot and and four from side to side. Enough room for three extra mortals if the occasion arose.

/

Darcy shook the last of the chips into her mouth and scrunched the bag into a tight ball. "So, let me make sure I understand this. Loki kidnapped you, basically kept you as a pet, used you against the fancy pants league, and you forgive him?" I shook my head and swallowed the last of my gummy worm. "No, I don't forgive him. I just feel like maybe it wasn't all his fault, or maybe it was and he just didn't really know what he was doing. Like a little kid." I shrugged. "Sometimes he reminds me of my little brother. Then he flips and it seems the weight of the world is crushing him."

Darcy grabbed the bag of candy and shoved several worms in her mouth. Trying to talk around the sugary bits, she only managed to be completely unintelligible. When a slightly soggy blue bit snuck between her lips, I finally lost it. My giggling was only worsened by the faces Darcy was making in an effort to keep both her laughter, and the candy, contained.

When we finally gathered our wits, Darcy looked at her watch and stretched. "Well, I suppose that we should check the incoming box." I gave her a confused look. She shoved the candy back in the drawer. "My job is to sort and file old papers and reports. Some of them are really interesting. Especially the ones that I'm not really supposed to read." She smiled mischievously. "Did you know that, in the early years of S.H.I.E.L.D., they performed genetic experiments to see if you could mix the DNA of different species. There's a lot of conspiracy theory stuff too. Like the whole 'radio waves to influence thoughts' conspiracy. Yeah, they tried it."

/

Steve picked up the phone receiver and punched in the number scribbled on a scrap of paper. After a couple of rings, he heard a click and a woman's voice said "Hello?". Steve replied somewhat stiffly. "Good afternoon Ma'am. This is Steve Rogers. Is Elizabeth available to speak with?" The other end of the line was silent. "Ma'am?" Steve heard a deep inhale and sharp swallow. The woman's voice shook when she spoke again. "No," she said. "Elizabeth is not here." Steve closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "May I ask where she is and when she will be back? I would very much like to speak with her." A choked sob preceded the woman's answer. "I don't know." Steve replied with an absent "Thank you Ma'am" before slamming the receiver back into it's cradle.

Steve turned to see Stark leaning against the doorway, a drink in his hand. Despite Tony's nonchalant attitude and almost bemused look on his face, Steve could see the strain carefully concealed by his manner. "So," Stark swirled the ice in his drink gently, "it sounds to me like somebody is keeping secrets from us." Steve pursed his brow. "I don't think Elizabeth ever made it home." Tony nodded. "As of late, I'm beginning to think Nick is not a very trustworthy person."

Steve brushed past Tony, almost knocking Stark off his feet. Stark had to rush to keep up with the soldier's brisk pace. "Where are you going?" Rogers spun sharply and Tony almost lost his glass trying to stop. "I am going to speak with Director Fury and find out what has happened since we returned from Asgard." Stark grinned broadly. "I was hoping you would say that." Stark stepped around Steve and strode happily to the elevator. Turning back to Steve, he raised his eyebrow playfully. "Aren't you going to come see what I have for you?" Steve hesitantly followed the billionaire into the elevator.


	28. Getting What Is Wanted

**I am very pleased to present you with another chapter in such a short time. I have been intensely motivated, as well as flattered, by the various comments I have received. As a feeble way of saying that I have read them all avidly and to thank you all, I finished another, albeit short, chapter. Please enjoy.**

Steve could hardly believe his eyes. In the midst of Tony's thoroughly modern garage, was a Harley Davidson 'liberator'. The exact model that he had used during World War 2. Stark danced happily around his project, practically glowing with pleasure at Steve's reaction. "I found it online for 50 bucks. I fixed it up just for you, Cap. There is nothing special or extra about it either. It is just the way it was when it was in the fifties." He thumped the seat proudly. "Let me tell ya, some of these parts are hard to fabricate too." Steve ran a hand over the smooth leather of the seat appreciatively.

/

Loki sat brooding on the small cot in his cell. He would watch the mortals stride past the window in the door. They all kept their eyes firmly ahead as it looking through that window were forbidden. The only people that would even look through the glass were the director and his two favored assassins. The male assassin, Barton, would sometimes linger around the opening, engaging Loki in little staring contests. Loki enjoyed these as it was a time consuming diversion from painfully monotonous days.

Loki had inspected the glass carefully, thinking that it may be an opening for escape. The window itself was about chest height to the average mortal and the topmost boundary came just above Loki's forehead. He could see a substantial amount of the hallway from different angles, but he could see neither end.

His cell was almost soundproof but Loki's superhuman hearing could detect the faint footsteps of the mortal soldiers whenever they passed by in the hall. He memorized the guard schedule and the distinctive strides of his most common visitors. Loki contented exercising his mind on these trivial things in place of his usual diversions.

/

_This was a bad idea_, I told myself. _You are going to get caught, and then you will be stuck in a tiny cell again._ I cursed myself internally. _You just got a decent job to distract you._ I bit my lip as I thought about Darcy. _You left her to take the consequences. You betrayed her trust. _I shook my head. _Darcy will understand,_ I reassured myself.

I heard footsteps and my heart felt like it would burst. I hurried down the rest of the hall and picked the left fork randomly. I leaned against the wall and pressed a hand to my chest. I was shaking from the adrenaline in my system and my gut churned over and over with regret. _Why did I think this was a good idea? Why did I decide to go looking for Loki?_

I pushed these questions from my mind. It was for Frigga. I would find Loki and make sure he was okay for Frigga. I had promised. I would not go back on my promise. Reassured of my purpose, I pushed away from the wall and continued down this new concrete hall.

/

Loki sat on the opposite side of the metal door, he was waiting for the sound of footfalls. It was almost time for the young male agent to make his rounds. He waited, _only a few more minutes_, he thought.

Instead of footsteps, a soft knocking sound startled him. He stayed silent, hoping the intruder was just his imagination. When the tapping came again, it was accompanied by a deep sigh. At that, Loki stood bolt upright to face the visitor.

/

I was just about to turn away from the window when Loki's dark figure suddenly appeared on the other side. I yelped and fell flat on my rear. My heart raced, but a measure of my earlier tension drained away. As quickly as my tension fled, it was replaced by anger at what I saw before me.

Rising shakily to my feet, I involuntarily moved my fingers to my lips. "Jesus Christ" I muttered. "This is wrong." I clenched my hands into fists. "This is just sick." I looked over the cold metal shape of the gag. It stood in stark contrast to Loki's pale skin and shining eyes. "Goddamn bastards." I spat the words at the floor.

/

Loki was surprised to see the girl here. She looked nervous even before she clumsily tripped over herself. Loki might have laughed had he not been forcibly silenced.

Watching her thoughts play out over her face told him almost all that he could have asked. Her nervous brow told him that she was not allowed to be here, her gradual hardening of her eyes told him that she was not pleased with the metal muzzle. The quickest but most intriguing emotion that he saw was relief and happiness. The gentle relaxing of her neck and lips flickered briefly, but Loki was strangely glad to see it there. This meant that she had been looking for him, and that she wanted to find him.

/

I pressed my hand up against the glass window and examined what I could see of Loki. He was dressed in a prison orange t-shirt and black pants. His hair hung loosely around his face and a few strands hung over his eyes. His lanky form was slightly hunched, but he still held his head high enough to look down on me as if I were no more than an ant crawling over his shoe.

Finally I raised my eyes to meet his. "You look terrible", I said to break the silence. Loki gave no reaction. "Have you eaten anything?" His pale skin looked even paler. He shook his head slightly. I bit my lip, the junk food I shared everyday with Darcy was threatening to come back with a vengeance.


	29. Lost and Found

**It is time yet again for me to make my apologies. With two jobs and preparing for college, my time is nearly completely consumed. But I promise another chapter very soon. Please enjoy! **

Loki was surprised at Elizabeth's genuine concern for his well being. He felt his heart twist with conflicted emotions. He assured himself that he felt nothing for the girl or anyone else, but his gut told him that she understood part of his grief. it also told him that Elizabeth was the closest thing to a friend that he had.

Loki watched as Elizabeth spoke to him, but he felt disembodied, far away from what was happening. He watched as she turned and hurried down the hall. He heard the sound of booted footsteps steadily travel down the hall. The steps beat a steady rhythm to his cell door.

Still in the recesses of his mind, Loki watched the thin fog of Elizabeth's handprint fade from the thick glass. He felt a strange sensation that the fog might be the last material shred he would see of the girl. As soon as it had disappeared, he forced himself to forget the encounter and deal with the new face at the window.

/

I heard the footsteps from the adjoining hall and realized that I needed to go. "I promise I will come back.", I said before I turned and rushed in the opposite direction. I reached the adjoining hall at the end and ran as quietly as possible back in the direction I thought I had come.

A few turns later, I slowed to a fast walk and tried to find any familiar landmarks. I could see no distinguishing features to the basic concrete walls and the identical converging and diverging halls. I decided that I could wander around for a while until I either found my way back, or was found.

Finally, I heard a pair of familiar voices. I turned the corner in their direction and ran directly into James' thick chest. Before I could rebound from him, he had a firm grasp of my elbows, and held me at just less than arm's length.

Darcy put her hand on her hip and smiled cheerfully. "Found her!", she said in an 'I told you so' tone. James might have turned to glare at Darcy had he not been so focused on me. "Where on God's green earth have you been?" James looked like was either about to hit me or hug me. When I did not respond, he gave my arms a little shake. "Why did you leave Darcy? You know you are not to be wandering around. The Director is suspicious enough as it is." I felt like shrinking into my body. "I...I was just looking for the bathroom. I got lost." I managed to choke out the cover story I had decided on. Hearing myself say it, it suddenly felt very flimsy.

/

Frigga stood on the bifrost, looking out over the vastness of space. Next to her, the golden guardian, Heimdal, stood proudly. "Heimdal," the queen began, "do you still keep watch over my son?" "It is my duty to the realm and to the king to keep watch over all things in the universe." Heimdal's booming voice replied. Frigga nodded, disappointed that the giant had not offered any news of her son. "You do it well. You are truly a most faithful servant to the realm." She turned to leave but Heimdal's voice stopped her. "I always keep careful watch over those dearest to the realm." He turned slightly to look at Frigga. "The lady Elizabeth has kept her word." Heimdal's words were gentle.

Frigga nodded her thanks to the giant and took her leave. She would be missed in the court, but felt that the time away was well spent. She had the warm comfort of knowing her son was not abandoned. Thor may have been home, but he alone could not fill his mother's heart.

/

James kept a firm grip on me all the way back to my 'room'. I would have liked Darcy to come with us, but she left down a branching hallway back to the files room. When James and I finally halted at my door, I was surprised to see it open. Inside, Natasha Romanov was sitting on my cot with an expectant expression. James stood on the threshold while I stepped a few feet into the small room. Natasha smiled at me. Then she nodded at James. "You are dismissed. Please leave the door open. I'll only be a moment." The young man hesitated for a moment before giving me one last concerned glance as he walked away.

Agent Romanov patted the bed next to her, signaling me to sit down with her. I obeyed, but I made sure to sit as far away as the small mattress would allow. This woman had always made me nervous. She was gentle and soft on the outside, but her manner was always tinged with a certain hardness. I imagine that she was once a happy and carefree girl, but years of a less than savory line of work wore the girlishness right out of her.

Looking at her now, I could easily relate her to her code name black widow. She sat there, all soft edges and gentle smiles, but underneath was a dangerous venom ready to use if the situation required it. "So, " Natasha said, sounding as if she was a longtime friend. "I understand that you took a little walk around today. " I ducked my head in an attempt to look embarrassed. "I got lost. " Natasha laughed brightly. " It is fairly easy to lose your way around here. " She cocked her head ever so slightly. " Did you find anything unusual on your little walkabout? "

I bit my lip as I tried to find a way around the double edged question. I finally decided that being mostly honest might be the best option. "Well, I found Loki's cell. But to me, seeing him is not exactly unusual anymore." Natasha nodded, the hint of a smile played about her mouth. " Did you talk to him at all? " Again, her question was transparently tricky. Deciding to stick with my policy of truthfulness, I replied with measured tone. " I believe I did most of the talking. " I swallowed the bile that threatened to rise in my throat. " Loki would have a hard time saying anything around that damned device. " Romanov nodded, but kept her expression carefully neutral. " Did you learn anything from him in other ways? " The firm grip I had on my anger slipped when I recalled the one thing Loki had communicated to me. "Yes." I snapped. " He told me that you are so cruel as to deny him both food and the ability to eat. "

A new voice spoke from the doorway. " Loki is an immortal creature. He does not need the same things as we do to survive. " I clenched my fists and refused to look at the Director. " He still needs to eat at some point." I hissed back. Fury paused before answering. " He will. When I deem him tame enough. It is a very complex process and not for the timid. I can't expect you of all people to understand." I felt intensely sick to my stomach. I swallowed and clenched my jaw. "And I suppose I can't expect you to know what an absolutely horrible and inhuman piece of filth you are. I can tell you that till I am blue in the face, but your head is so entangled in your bowels, that I doubt you would even hear anything. I don't even think that you are capable of humanity anymore. " My rage burned behind my eyes and a few hot tears had streaked salty trails on my cheeks.

To my further irritation, Fury looked completely unaffected by my outburst. Before I could manage any other coherent words, Romanov stood and turned to look down at me. "It is my understanding that you were intentionally searching for Loki today." I looked at her, incredulous. "You said yourself that you had 'found' his cell." My throat was swollen with outrage. I couldn't have answered her if I had wanted. Instead, I stood up and took a wild and impulsive lunge at her.

What I had intended as a tackle ended with me flat on my back, watching the agent stroll calmly through the door. "You are confined here until such time as the director decides otherwise. " she said as she pressed the button to close the door to the cell. I quickly pulled myself to my feet. The door sealed shut just as I slammed into it with my body. I slapped my palms against the glass while a few more salty drops clouded my vision.

I bit my lip and tried to force back the tears of frustration and anger. I felt the liquid burning behind my eyelids and I knew that I was going to have a terrible headache from this.


	30. Choosing a Side

**This chapter is short, but I feel that it stands alone nicely. I plan on having another chapter up soon because I hate to leave this one hanging for too long. Please enjoy. **

Loki shifted his position on the little cot. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he let it sit in his lungs till it began to burn. Then he let it slowly and silently stream out. The mortal, Fury, knew that Elizabeth had been looking for him and had managed to find him. He had appeared at the cell door and scared the girl away. When Loki had finally looked the man in the eye, he could see that the director knew about Elizabeth's visit. Nothing was said, but Loki knew that Elizabeth was discovered.

Loki recrossed his long legs. He felt somehow responsible for whatever may happen because the girl had come looking for him. He was powerless. He hated feeling what he did for the girl. A sour taste rose in his throat. _You are weak. _Loki told himself. _You know the mortal creatures are beneath you. You know that you are not responsible for any of the mortals, least of all that silly child. _He told himself these things, but his heart fluttered in suppressed disagreement.

/

Time passed slowly for me. Being confined to one place was fine, it was the utter lack of anything to entertain myself with that was getting to me. Eventually, I settled on sleeping. Just as I was about to nod off, there came a faint tapping on my door. I opened one eye in what I hoped was an expression of annoyance. To my unexpected pleasure, the tapping was accompanied by Darcy's grinning face. She motioned me to the door and punched in the quick code to slide it open. I flung myself off of the bed and hit the floor before the door was fully open.

I reached Darcy in a heartbeat and wrapped my arms around her. She patted me on the back awkwardly and I released her. " Tony says we have three minutes. " she said as she turned and started jogging down the hall. I took a few steps after her bouncing brown hair, then stopped in my tracks. " Loki. " I turned and ran in the opposite direction. I could hear Darcy call something back at me, but I disappeared around a corner before I could make out what she said. I took only a few halls before I found a familiar landmark, and remembered where I was. A few more turns after that, I was standing in front of Loki's cell. He looked at me, puzzled.

I could only stand and grin for a moment. Then Darcy rounded the corner and practically collapsed, out of breath. She staggered to the keypad and punched in a series of digits. The door whooshed open quietly and Loki stood in the opening. Many questions flitted around his expression, but I offered no answers. Instead, I took him by the wrist and followed Darcy back through the maze of hallways.

/

Natasha tapped her fingers impatiently on the wheel of the car. If Darcy did not hurry, the window for a clean escape would close on them. Romanov rubbed her fingertips together lightly. She wondered if agreeing to go with Stark's plan was her best choice.

He had called her just before the fiasco with Elizabeth. Stark had threatened to reveal the location of several of her personal safehouses if she did not take Elizabeth to it. If Natasha helped, Tony promised to erase all of the information he had on her private escapes on all of the databases he had access to. Natasha agreed to aid him, but she told him that blackmailing her was unnecessary. She liked Elizabeth enough that she would have helped the girl escape anyway.

Natasha's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of the bouncing dark tresses of Darcy Lewis. Romanov watched in the mirrors as Darcy was followed by Elizabeth and the tall form of Loki. The back door of the car slammed shut after the girl and the god. Natasha wasted no time in driving the car out of the building and onto a dirt road in desperate need of some care.

/

We bounced along in an uneasy silence for a while. Finally I asked Natasha "I thought you were on the other side. Why are you doing this? I'm grateful, but I'm really confused too. " Natasha looked at me in the rear view mirror. "I choose my own side." she said. "Tony planted a virus that wiped out all of the cameras and alarm systems in the base. I am just transporting you to a safe location. There, you will stay until something else can be arranged." I held her gaze in the mirror. "Thank you." I said with as much seriousness as I could. I understood that this was an incredible risk for her and I owed her more than I could ever repay.


	31. House Rules

**I just hated to leave the story where it was. Here is a short but rather important chapter. I am always happy to hear from you. Your thoughts always motivate me. Please enjoy! **

I watched the stars in the dark sky for a long time. The only sounds were the air rushing past the window and the muted rumble of the engine. Eventually, these constant noises lulled me to sleep.

I woke again to the sound of a man's voice. I peeled my face away from the window and sat up. I realized that the passenger seat of the car was now occupied. I had no notion of when we had been joined, but when I realized who had joined our party, I was happy. "Hi Steve. " I yawned. He smiled when he turned back to look at me. I couldn't help but smile back. I fell back asleep soon after that.

/

Loki's position in the back seat was less than comfortable. His knees were pressing into the back of the passenger seat and the vibration of the car was starting to hurt his stiff joints. This discomfort was compounded by the way Elizabeth had fallen asleep on him. Her aura betrayed her emotional exhaustion and Loki was loathe to move and wake her. Loki watched Elizabeth's stomach expand and retract with every breath she took. She had seemed so happy to see the captain had joined their little party, but now she looked nervous. Loki had never known someone to look anything but peaceful while resting. He had the urge to comfort her in some way, but the female assassin's careful watch deterred him.

/

I was woken for the last time by the firm hand of Natasha gently shaking my knee. I opened my eyes to discover that I had been resting my head on Loki's leg. When I righted myself, he only raised his eyebrows in response to my sheepish look. Natasha looked at me impatiently. " We are here." She said.

I looked out the window. We were parked next to a cute little yellow house with a small, but surprisingly well kept yard. Natasha shut off the engine and got out of the vehicle. I followed Steve and Natasha to the door, trailing a skeptical looking Loki in my wake.

I walked through the creaky screen door and the faint scent of old wood and dust tickled my nose. I stepped past the outdated washing machine and through another doorway to the kitchen. I felt like laughing and crying, but did neither. The house reminded me of my grandparent's. Fond memories rushed into my thoughts and, letting the sentiment get the best of me, I flung off my shoes and rushed to the furthest room.

To get to the back of the house, you had to pass through the kitchen, living room, and another small living room. After that, the furthest room was a tiny room hardly large enough for a bed and a chest of drawers. I remembered this room in my grandparent's had been my mother's room and it was the room I had always stayed in when visiting. In this little safehouse, I was pleased to find a bed waiting. I flopped face down on the covers and closed my eyes. The fabric smelled of dust and stale mothballs. A scent that pervaded many of my childhood memories.

I breathed deeply into the covers until I heard a quiet cough in the doorway. I pulled myself away from the quilt and sat up to address the intruder. I was not surprised to see that it was Steve standing awkwardly in the opening. He clasped his hands behind his back and spoke "Ms. Romanov wants to discuss a few things in the kitchen. " I nodded and followed Steve to the oval of wood dominating the kitchen. Loki stood in the corner by the refrigerator while the three of us picked spots at the table. As soon as we were settled, Natasha began. " This is a safehouse. The purpose of it is to keep its inhabitants safe. If that is to work, there has to be some rules. First, no one is to leave the house until I say so. Second, the curtains must remain closed at all times and no one is to be near the windows. Third, never answer the door for anyone. Lastly, there are no electronic devices, like cell phones, allowed in the house. I will be the only one allowed to have one in the vicinity. I will have it disabled when I am here." She stood. " I will be back within the week. There are boxes of hair dye in the linen cupboard. ". With that, she turned and left. No one moved until the headlights and sound of the engine disappeared into the distance.

I was the first to move. I let out a great yawn and stood up from the table. Nodding to Steve and Loki, I trudged to the back bedroom and stripped to my undergarments. I pulled back the quilt and slid between the cool sheets. I was asleep almost immediately.


End file.
